973.7L63 
BUF57^ 


Fitzgerrell,    J.   J. 
Lincoln  was  a  spiritualist 
and     Austin,    B.   F. 

'The    Religion  of  Abraham 
Lincoln 


-J 


LINCOLN  ROOM 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
LIBRARY 


MEMORIAL 

the  Class  of  1901 

founded  by 

HARLAN  HOYT  HORNER 

and 

HENRIETTA  CALHOUN  HORNER 


LINCOLN 

WAS  A 

SPIRITUALIST 

By   J.  J.  FlTZGERRELL 

THE  RELIGION 

OF 

ABRAHAM  LINCOLN 

By  B.  F.  Austin 


LINCOLN 

WAS  A 

SPIRITUALIST 

By   J.  J.  FlTZGERRELL 

THE  RELIGION 

OF 

ABRAHAM  LINCOLN 

By  B.  F.  Austin 


The  Austin  Publishing  Company 

Los  Angeles,  California. 

1924 


Copyright,  1924 

By  J.  J.    FlTZGERRELL 


James  J.  Fitzgerrell 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  Illinois  Urbana-Champaign 


http://www.archive.org/details/lincolnwasspiritOOfitz 


The  Author  of  this  book 

James  J.  Fitzgerrell 

Adjutant,  81st  Illinois  Infantry,  Volunteers 

now  a  member  of  the  Soldier's  Home,  California,  at  the 
age  of  81  years,  having  retired  from  business 

RESPECTFULLY  REQUESTS 

that  all  readers  of  this  book  will  use  their  power  and  in- 
fluence in  the  sale  of  the  book,  that  the  public  generally 
throughout  the  United  States  shall  know  the  truth,  not 
now  generally  known,  that  Abraham  Lincoln  recognized 
the  guidance  of  the  spirit  world  during  the  four  years 
of  the  Civil  War,  that  saved  this  nation  from  Anarchy 
and  ruin. 

The  Churches  only  state  that  Abraham  Lincoln  did 
not  belong  to  any  church. 

Address,  Dr.  B.  F.  Austin,  4522  St.  Charles  Road, 
Los  Angeles,  California. 


Introductory 

A  record  of  happenings  that  prove  this  physical  body 
changes  once  in  about  seven  years,  and  is  only  a  vehicle 
through  which  the  Spirit,  Mind,  Soul  Body  functions. 
At  Death  the  Physical  Body  disintregates,  returning 
to  Dust — while  the  Spirit,  Mind,  Soul  Body  lives  on, 
taking  up  its  future  life  work,  that  will  lead  to  the  great- 
est amount  of  happiness  in  the  oncoming  ages  of  the 
eternal  future,  in  aiding  and  assisting  others. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

JAMES  J.  FITZGERRELL. 
Address, 

P.  O.  Box  No.  397. 
Soldiers  Home,  California. 


Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 

My  first  recollection  as  a  small  boy  was  that  of  lis- 
tening to  the  sermons  preached  by  my  Grand  Father, 
the  Rev.  Joseph  Hartley,  one  of  the  leading  (Hardshell) 
Regular  Baptist  Preachers  in  Southern  Illinois,  Jeffer- 
son County. 

Standing  in  the  Pulpit,  he  would  reverently  lay  his 
hands  on  the  Bible,  and  say: — "This  is  the  BIBLE, 
GOD'S  WORD,  EVERY  WORD  IN  THE  BIBLE  IS 
TRUE,  IF  NOT  THE  TRUTH,  IT  WOULD  NOT  BE 
GOD'S  WORD,  GOD'S  WORD  IS  THE  TRUTH." 

I  remember  often  hearing  him  preach  from  Paul's 
Epistle  to  the  Ephesians,  Chapter  No.  1,  that  clearly 
teaches  "PREDESTINATION  IN  THE  FULLNESS 
OF  TIME,"  etc,  etc. 

At  the  age  of  fourteen  years  my  father  died.  I 
was  the  oldest  of  seven  children,  the  next  two  of  the 
children  were  girls,  so  my  time  was  taken  up  to  look  af- 
ter and  assist  my  Mother  in  the  care  of  the  320  acre 
farm,  all  fenced,  especially  during  the  harvest  season, 
when  much  additional  labor  was  required  in  harvesting 
the  large  crops  of  small  grain. 

With  the  outbreak  of  the  CIVIL  WAR,  in  1861, 
there  was  much  excitement,  with  the  great  majority  of 
the  people  in  Southern  Illinois  favoring  secession.  Of 
our  family  on  both  sides  of  the  house,  (Fathers  and 
Mothers),  aiding  the  Secession  movement  in  every  pos- 
sible way,  of  the  entire  Hartley  family,  but  one  son, 
Joseph  Hartley,  Jr.,  was  the  only  friend  the  Union  cause 
had,  except  one  daughter  MARTHA  that  had  married 


8  Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 

James  J.  Dollins,  the  Colonel  of  the  81st  Illinois  Infantry 
Volunteers.  Of  the  Fitzgerrell  side  of  the  House,  I  was 
the  only  member  of  the  family  that  I  know  of  who  vol- 
unteered in  the  defence  of  the  Union.  My  uncle  Joseph 
Hartley  Jr.  and  I  volunteered  and  joined  the  81st  Illin- 
ois Infantry  Volunteers,  both  serving  until  the  close  of 
the  war. 

Of  the  families  and  their  friends,  65  in  number,  they 
escaped  the  Government  draft  in  February  1865,  by 
"fleeing  to  the  mountains,  to  escape  the  wrath  to  come," 
as  stated  by  my  Grand  Father.  Thus  aiding  the  cause 
of  Secession  all  they  could. 

In  this  connection,  I  will  state,  I  well  remember  one 
incident  at  the  time  of  the  family  hegira.  I  happened 
to  be  at  home  on  a  leave  of  absence,  just  after  General 
Price's  last  raid  into  Missouri.  Learning  the  family 
and  others  intended  to  make  an  early  start  the  next 
morning,  I  went  to  Grand  Father  Hartley's  home,  to  as- 
sist him  in  loading  his  covered  wagon  with  supplies  for 
the  trip,  the  evening  before,  and  bade  him  "good  bye." 
He  was  standing  in  the  wagon.  In  handing  him  a  sack 
of  salt,  I  remarked,  "Grand  Father,  why  are  you  and 
the  family  leaving  the  country  now,  the  war  is  practi- 
cally over?"  At  this  he  gave  me  the  most  pitying  look 
imaginable,  almost  dropping  the  sack  of  salt,  saying: 
"Jimmie,  the  war  has  just  commenced,  the  poor  women 
and  children  will  get  their  bread  at  the  point  of  the  bay- 
onet, the  great  Battle  of  the  Armageddon  of  the  Bible 
will  be  fought  in  Southern  Illinois  within  one  year  from 
now.  I  will  obey  the  Bible  and  flee  to  the  Mountains, 
both  me  and  mine.  I  most  sincerely  pity  you  in  your 
terrible  condition  in  this  horrible  war." 


Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist  9 

I  made  no  reply  but  helped  to  finish  the  work  of 
loading  the  wagon.  The  feeling  of  the  supporters  of 
Slavery  against  the  Union  Soldiers  was  most  bitter. 
That  cannot  be  realized  by  the  good  people  of  today. 

I  will  state  the  party  had  not  crossed  the  Missouri 
River  before  the  surrender  of  General  Lee,  that  marked 
the  close  of  the  Rebellion.  Grand  Father  and  the  fam- 
ily went  to  Oregon,  he  died  in  about  two  years,  while 
the  most  of  the  family  and  friends  drifted  back  in  a  few 
years. 

By  permission  of  my  Mother  I  enlisted  as  a  private 
in  Company  "H"  81st  Illinois  Infantry  Volunteers.  Com- 
manded by  my  Uncle  by  marriage,  Colonel  James  J. 
Dollins,  of  Benton,  Franklin  County,  Ills.  I  finished 
"laying  by"  the  corn  crop  at  12  o'clock  August  24th, 
1862,  rode  to  Tamaroa  10  miles,  took  the  evening  train 
for  Anna,  Illinois,  and  was  mustered  in  to  the  U.S.  ser- 
vice at  10  oclock  August  25th,  was  immediately  detailed 
as  Orderly  at  Regimental  Headquarters,  with  the  duty 
of  carrying  dispatches  to  other  headquarters,  and  care- 
ing  for  the  Colonel's  tent,  sleeping  on  a  blanket  in  that 
tent.  I  assisted  the  regimental  clerk  (Lippincot)  all 
possible,  until  in  December,  when  Lippincot  was  promo- 
ted to  be  2nd  Lieutenant  in  Co.  "C,"  when  because  of 
my  knowledge  of  the  business  of  the  Regiment  I  was  de- 
tailed to  be  Regimental  Clerk. 

During  the  Vicksburg  Campaign  commencing  May 
1st  1863,  I  joined  the  ranks  of  Company  "H"  in  every 
skirmish  and  battle,  (no  trouble  to  find  a  gun  when  it 
came  to  a  battle) .  On  May  22nd  in  the  general  assault 
on  the  enemy's  works,  we  failed.  Colonel  Dollins  was 
killed,  and  the  Adjutant  Zebede  Hammock  was  mortally 
wounded  and  died.    On  the  29th,  I  was  made  Regiment- 


10  Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 

al  Adjutant,  promoted  from  the  ranks,  because  I  had 
not  shirked  my  duty  as  a  private,  and  knew  all  about 
the  duties  of  the  office.  Ranking  from  May  29th,  was 
mustered  into  office  July  2nd,  1863,  and  rode  into  Vicks- 
burg  Miss.,  July  4th  at  the  head  of  my  Regiment,  the 
fourth  to  enter  the  city.  'The  happiest  boy  of  20  years 
you  ever  saw." 

Was  mustered  out  of  service  at  the  close  of  the  war, 
On  August  5th,  1865,  was  married  to  Mariah  E.  Nygatt, 
(a  little  rebel  girl  of  Vicksburg,  Miss.),  her  Father  was 
one  of  the  staunchest  Union  men  I  ever  met. 

I  have  led  an  active  business  life,  first  as  a  travel- 
ing man  for  several  years,  all  over  the  U.S.  in  the  Saw 
Manufacturing  trade.  Then  entering  the  Real  Estate 
business  in  New  Mexico  and  Colorado.  During  the  past 
forty  years  in  Mexico,  office  in  the  City  of  Mexico, 
where  I  have  handled  over  2,000,000  acres  of  Mexico 
lands.  Organized  the  Fitzgerrell  Investment  Corporat- 
ion, paid  up  capital,  100,000  pesos,  and  felt  myself  on 
"easy  street"  financially.  On  March  13th,  1913,  my 
sweet  wife  passed  to  the  beyond,  her  physical  body  lies 
in  the  U.S.  National  Cemetery  in  the  City  of  Mexico. 
Her  spirit  body,  her  "self"  is  with  me  now,  aiding  me 
all  possible,  with  her  love  and  tenderness  of  the  earth 
life,  of  almost  50  years. 

Because  of  unsettled  business  conditions  in  Mexico, 
I  find  myself  in  the  Soldier's  Home,  California,  having 
"forgotten"  Mexico.  Have  lost  every  penny  of  my  Mex- 
ico properties,  Real  Estate,  Mortgages  and  all  personal 
effects. 

The  winter  of  1871-2  found  me  with  my  family  of 
wife  and  daughter  May,  living  in  East  Saginaw,  Mich., 
in  the  Saginaw  Hotel.    May  was  old  enough  to  be  placed 


Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist  11 

in  school,  where  she  met  a  girl  of  her  age  the  daughter 
of  one  of  the  leading  opticians  in  the  city,  resulting  in 
our  making  uor  home  with  these  people. 

On  becoming  acquainted  with  these  people,  I  found 
the  Optician  to  be  a  wide  awake  business  man,  and  a 
gentleman,  who  informed  me  that  five  of  the  leading 
business  men  of  the  city — three  lumbermen  and  two 
business  men — had  formed  an  investigation  circle, 
meeting  once  a  week,  first  in  one  office  and  then  another, 
after  business  hours,  to  investigate  the  question  of  the 
Continuity  of  Life.  I  was  invited  to  join  the  Circle, 
which  I  did,  as  I  knew  these  gentlemem  were  earnest 
seekers  after  the  truth,  and  no  thought  of  fraud. 

The  religious  impressions  left  on  my  mind  were 
those  left  by  the  preachings  of  my  grand  father,  one  of 
the  leading  Baptist  ministers  in  Southern  Ills,  who 
preached  the  doctrine  of  pre-destination,  and  proved  it 
by  the  Bible. 

When  the  meeting  came  to  order  I  found  the  medi- 
um to  be  one  of  the  leading  lumbermen  of  the  Saginaw 
Valley,  who  soon  went  under  control  and  was  controlled 
by  a  newspaper  man  whom  I  knew  well,  who  but  a  short 
time  before  this,  going  into  his  office,  in  a  fit  of  despon- 
dancy,  took  a  revolver  from  his  desk  drawer  and  blew 
out  his  brains,  no  doubt  caused  by  drink. 

I  was  surprised  and  interested  in  hearing  this 
newspaper  man's  statement  of  his  present  condition 
that  was  pitiful  in  the  extreme.  He  expressed  the  great- 
est possible  regret  for  his  act  in  taking  his  own  life, 
stating  that  he  could  not  get  away  from  his  old  envir- 
onments, that  he  wandered  up  and  down  the  streets,  in 
and  out  of  the  hotels,  saloons,  meeting  those  he  knew 
who  could  not  recognize  him,  do  what  he  might  to  make 


12  Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 

them  sense  his  presence.  He  was  able  to  go  to  the  cem- 
etery and  no  further.  His  many  friends  who  had  pass- 
ed over,  and  all  seemed  to  be  happy,  told  him  that  in 
time  he  with  the  great  help  of  his  earth  and  spirit 
friends,  would  be  able  to  overcome  these  earth  bound 
conditions,  and  he  will  be  able  to  get  away  from  here. 
He  asked  us  and  all  his  earth  friends  to  send  out  all 
possible  good  thoughts  to  aid  him. 


Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist  13 


A  Trip  to  Boston 

I  made  a  trip  to  Boston  Mass.  At  the  hotel 
I  was  introduced  to  a  practicing  physician  who  had 
an  office  in  the  hotel,  who  informed  me  of  a  meeting 
that  evening  at  a  home  of  a  Mrs.  Thayer,  THE  FLOW- 
ER MEDIUM.  We  attended.  About  twenty  of  Bos- 
ton's leading  people  assembled  in  the  back  parlor  reach- 
ed through  a  hall  from  the  front  door.  When  the  party 
had  assembled  an  adjournment  was  taken  to  the  front 
parlor,  that  was  absolutely  bare  of  carpet  and  furniture, 
except  a  long  extension  dining  table,  half  a  dozen  din- 
ing chairs,  heating  stove  and  gas  chandelier,  with  a 
candle  stick  sitting  on  the  table. 

There  was  present  a  reporter  from  the  Boston  Her- 
ald. We  soon  constituted  ourselves  a  self  appointed 
committee  of  investigation,  we  sealed  all  the  doors  and 
inside  window  blinds  with  common  letter  postage 
stamps,  leaving  the  window  slats  open  as  much  as  pos- 
sible. There  were  two  over,  who  were  seated  in  the  rear 
of  the  Medium,  and  the  Reporter  and  I  who  seated  our- 
selves on  each  side  of  the  Medium. 

The  lights  were  extinguished.  The  light  that 
streamed  in  from  the  street  lamps,  through  the  window 
blinds,  and  the  light  that  came  in  from  the  hall  light, 
through  the  transom  over  the  parlor  hall  door,  gave 
light  sufficient  to  distinguish  any  one  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  table. 

Keeping  my  right  arm  against  the  Medium's  left 
arm,  in  a  few  minutes  I  distinguished  muscular  shud- 


14  Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 

ders  passing  over  her  person.  In  about  10  minutes  she 
called  for  a  light.  When  the  candle  sitting  on  the  table 
was  lighted,  to  my  surprise  there  was  a  profusion  of 
flowers  of  all  kinds  lying  on  the  table  in  front  of  the 
different  persons  sitting  at  the  table. 

The  flowers  were  looked  over  and  discussed  by  the 
sitters  for  some  minutes,  when  the  reporter  and  I  chang- 
ed seats.  With  the  blowing  out  of  the  candle  light,  I 
soon  distinguished  the  sound  of  something  falling  on  the 
table,  and  I  kept  my  arm  and  shoulder  close  against 
the  Medium's.  She  spoke  and  said :  "You  may  hold  both 
of  my  hands,"  which  I  did.  Soon  something  fell  across 
my  hands.  When  the  light  was  called  for  I  saw  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  water  hyacinths  I  ever  saw,  about  14 
inches  long,  flower  and  stem,  lying  across  my  hand  and 
the  medium's.  Then  followed  an  examination  of  the 
flowers.  There  were  several  ladies  present  who  seemed 
to  be  very  conversant  with  the  hot  house  growth  of 
flowers,  who  said  there  were  flowers  on  the  table  they 
had  never  seen  before.  All  received  flowers,  while  the 
two  who  sat  on  chairs  behind  the  medium  and  the  "com- 
mittee" received  each  a  flower,  stalk,  roots  and  the  earth 
clinging  to  the  roots.  With  my  pocket  rule  I  measured 
them,  one  measured  24  the  other  28  inches  in  length 
roots  and  stem.  The  flower  I  never  saw  before.  Soon 
there  was  an  animated  discussion  on  the  large  amount 
of  flowers,  many  had  never  been  seen  by  the  parties  pre- 
sent, where  did  they  come  from?  The  seals  on  the  doors 
and  windows  were  intact,  no  one  could  enter  the  room 
without  being  seen,  the  snow  covered  the  ground  about 
four  inches,  the  weather  was  cold,  yet  the  mass  of  flow- 
ers was  there,  no  mistake,  but  from  where  no  one  knew. 


Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist  15 

Meeting  Col.  Kase 

While  the  discussion  was  going  on  I  noted  two 
gentlemen  and  their  wives  sitting  opposite  to  me,  that 
attracted  my  attention,  as  being  of  more  than  usual  in- 
telligence. On  exchanging  cards,  I  found  one  to  be  a  Mr. 
Thayer,  the  same  name  of  the  Medium,  no  connection, 
and  strangers,  the  other  Col.  S.  P.  Kase,  a  Banker  from 
Philadelphia,  visiting  his  relative  Thayer,  who  was  a 
merchant  engaged  in  the  West  India  trade  with  his  office 
on  the  main  wharf  of  Boston  Harbor. 

Thayer  said  he  lived  in  this  neighborhood,  that  the 
happenings  here  had  been  noised  about  the  neighbor- 
hood, his  wife  had  attended  one  of  them,  and  was  much 
interested,  so  he  caused  his  wife  to  invite  the  medium  to 
come  to  his  home  and  see  if  these  things  would  happen 
on  his  dining  table.  The  medium  accepted  the  invitation, 
his  wife  called  at  the  home  of  the  medium  and  took  her 
in  his  family  carriage  to  their  home,  took  her  to  her  bed- 
room and  dressed  her  in  her  own  clothing,  from  head  to 
foot,  then  seated  her  at  their  dining  table  with  only  his 
own  family  present,  married  and  single  children.  Mr. 
Thayer  said:  'There  was  at  least  one  bushel  of  flowers 
came  onto  my  table,  also  a  canary  bird  was  placed  in 
front  of  my  little  daughter.  She  has  the  canary  bird 
now  in  a  cage  in  my  home,  you  can  see  it.  Where  the 
flowers  and  the  bird  came  from  I  do  not  know,  I  know 
they  came,  under  the  most  severe  test  conditions. " 

Was  Lincoln  a  Spiritualist? 

The  discussion  of  the  above  happenings,  led  Col. 
Kase  to  make  to  Mr.  Thayer  and  me  the  following  state- 
ment: 


16  Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 

"You  remember  with  the  opening  of  the  Rebellion, 
that  Washington  was  threatened  by  the  Confederate 
troops  when  the  7th  Mass.  Volunteer  Infantry,  under 
Col.  Benjamin  F.  Butler,  was  ordered  to  Washington  to 
protect  the  Capitol.  Arriving  there  none  too  soon,  in 
passing  through  Baltimore,  Md.,  they  were  assailed  by 
the  Confederates  and  fought  their  way  through  that 
City,  with  the  loss  of  several  killed  and  wounded. 

At  that  time  I  was  connected  with  one  of  the  leading 
Banks  in  the  City  of  New  York.  A  meeting  of  the  lead- 
ing Bankers  was  called  and  it  was  decided  an  effort 
should  be  made  to  build  a  rail  road  connecting  with  the 
Capitol  without  having  to  pass  through  Baltimore.  I 
was  appointed  a  committee  of  one  to  go  to  Washington 
and  see  President  Lincoln,  and  see  what  could  be  done 
to  carry  out  the  plan  with  Government  aid. 

Arriving  at  Washington  on  the  early  morning  train, 
I  walked  from  the  depot  to  the  Willard  Hotel.  In  pass- 
ing along  the  street  I  became  conscious  that  I  was  pass- 
ing the  house  in  which  I  formerly  lived  when  I  was  a  stu- 
dent in  one  of  the  Washington  Colleges.  The  House 
stood  back  from  the  street  a  few  feet.  I  noted  the  front 
door  was  open,  and  looking  to  the  second  story,  to  the 
room  I  had  formerly  occupied,  I  saw  the  window  was 
open.  The  thought  came  to  me:  go  and  see  your  old 
room  again.  With  this  thought  I  turned  into  the  walk, 
through  the  open  door,  up  the  stairs,  at  the  head  of  the 
stairs  I  saw  the  room  door  open,  so  I  entered.  Just  as  I 
entered  the  room,  I  saw  a  gentleman  arising  from  a  writ- 
ing table.  Sealing  a  letter  and  advancing  toward  me,  he 
said :  "Take  this  letter  to  President  Lincoln,  it  is  of  the 
utmost  importance  that  he  should  receive  it  at  once."  I 
replied,  I  do  not  know  the  President.    You  can  take  it  to 


Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist  17 

him  pust  as  well  as  I.  He  replied ;  "You  are  going  to  see 
the  President  at  once,  and  can  hand  it  to  him.  It  will  re- 
ceive attention  at  once,  don't  fail  to  do  this,  it  is  import- 
ant to  the  Nation  that  Mr.  Lincoln  should  receive  this 
and  act  on  its  statements." 

With  these  statements,  and  the  strange  condition  I 
found  myself  in  I  took  the  letter,  put  it  in  my  pocket. 

After  breakfast  I  went  to  the  office  of  Judge  Soames 
and  laid  the  object  of  my  visit  before  him.  After  consul- 
tation, as  the  Judge  was  busy  on  some  important  busi- 
ness, it  was  decided  I  should  go  at  once  to  the  White 
House  and  see  the  President. 

On  presenting  my  card  to  the  door  keeper,  and  ask- 
ing for  an  immediate  interview,  telling  the  door  keeper 
my  name  was  Kase,  he  disappeared,  returning  in  a  few 
minutes  with  the  President  following  closely,  who  on 
entering  the  room,  seeing  a  stranger  seemed  confused. 
As  I  advanced  toward  him  I  gave  my  name,  S.  P.  Kase, 
from  New  York,  and  desired  to  talk  to  him  on  important 
business.  At  that  the  President  said ;  "I  expected  to  see 
Secretary  of  State  S.  P.  Chase,  I  understood  from  the 
door  keeper,  that  Mr.  Chase  wanted  to  see  me  at  once." 
(All  Civil  War  Veterans  will  remember  that  Simon  P. 
Chase  of  Ohio  was  a  strong  competitor  of  Mr.  Lincoln 
for  the  nomination  for  the  Presidency,  and  was  appoint- 
ed Secretary  of  State  in  Lincoln's  Cabinet,  and  the  diff- 
erence in  the  pronunciation  of  the  name  Kase  and 
Chase.)  I  noted  a  curious  expression  on  the  President's 
face.  I  stated  to  him  that  I  came  as  the  representative 
of  the  Banking  interest  of  New  York,  to  take  up  with  him 
the  matter  of  building  a  rail  road  from  New  York  to 
Washington  avoiding  Baltimore.  At  this  he  seemed  very 
much  interested  and  invited  me  to  sit  down  and  discuss 


18  Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 

the  matter  at  some  length.  On  separating  it  was  under- 
stood that  Judge  Soames  and  I  should  return  during  the 
afternoon  and  discuss  the  subject  further. 

On  leaving  the  President  I  drew  the  letter  I  had  re- 
ceived in  the  early  morning  from  my  pocket  and  gave  it 
to  him,  with  a  statement  of  how  I  came  to  receive  it.  The 
President  opened  and  read  it,  then  asked  me  if  I  knew 
of  its  contents.     I  told  him  I  did  not. 

Judge  Soames  and  I  filled  the  appointment  made 
with  the  President  during  the  afternoon;  after  discuss- 
ing the  rail  road  matter,  in  which  the  President  gave 
hearty  support,  and  as  we  were  leaving  the  room,  the 
President  called  up  the  matter  of  the  letter  received  in 
the  morning,  stating  that  it  was  an  invitation  that  he 
should  visit  the  home  of  a  Mr.  Laurie  in  Georgetown, 
(suburb  of  Washington,)  that  evening  at  7  p.m.,  where 
he  would  hear  something  of  vital  importance  to  the  Nat- 
ion. That  he  had  caused  an  investigation  of  the  request, 
and  decided  to  make  the  visit  and  asked  Judge  Soames 
and  me  if  we  would  like  to  go  along.  This  invitation  we 
gladly  accepted. 

We  reported  at  the  White  House  on  time,  and  were 
driven  in  the  White  House  carriage  with  the  Major  in 
attendance  on  the  President's  staff  with  the  President 
accompanied  by  an  escort  of  four  soldiers  to  the  George- 
town home  of  Mr.  Laurie. 

As  we  were  expected,  we  were  met  at  the  door  by 
Mr.  Laurie  and  his  wife  who  gave  us  an  earnest  in- 
vitation to  enter  their  home,  and  be  welcome  guests.  Mrs. 
Laurie  soon  seated  herself  at  the  piano  and  began  to 
play  some  favorite  tune,  when  the  piano  began  to  move 
up  and  down  in  accord  with  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  music. 
This  attracted  the  attention  of  the  President  who  said 


Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist  19 

to  one  of  the  soldiers  standing  near  the  piano ;  "Cannot 
you  hold  that  piano  down?"  At  that  the  soldier  attempt- 
ed to  do  so,  with  his  entire  weight  on  the  piano,  still  the 
piano  moved  up  and  down  the  same  as  before.  At  this 
the  President  stepped  to  the  end  of  the  piano  and  added 
his  weight  to  that  of  the  soldiers.  Still  the  piano  moved 
up  an  down  just  the  same  as  before.  At  this  the  Presi- 
dent resumed  his  seat  in  one  of  the  large  horse  hair  easy 
chairs  of  the  day. 

Just  then  there  appeared  a  young  lady  of  about 
eighteen  years  of  age  with  her  hair  curled,  the  custom 
of  the  young  girls  of  the  day,  that  we  had  not  seen  be- 
fore, entering  from  the  bed  room  off  from  the  parlor 
room.  The  home  was  a  five  room  house.  She  stepped 
directly  in  front  of  the  President  and  commenced  talk- 
ing in  the  most  earnest  and  impressive  manner,  review- 
ing the  history  of  this  Nation.  Commencing  with  the 
conditions  in  England  at  the  time  of  the  Mayflower,  the 
causes  that  led  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  to  come  to  the  new 
world,  their  landing  at  Plymouth  Rock,  the  hardships 
they  met  with,  of  the  oppositions  given  them  by  the  Indi- 
ans, spoke  of  Pocahontas,  of  the  hardships  of  the  thir- 
teen colonists,  then  to  the  causes  that  led  to  the  war  of 
the  Revolution.  Of  the  hardships  and  sufferings  of  the 
Colonists  and  of  the  successful  recognition  of  American 
independance,  with  half  free  and  half  slave  states,  then 
reviewed  the  strife  between  the  slave  and  free  states  to 
extend  and  suppress  the  extension  of  slavery  to  the  Ter- 
ritories, of  the  Missouri  Compromise.  Then  of  the  bit- 
terness of  the  different  political  parties  in  thePresident- 
ial  election,  in  which  you  (Lincoln)  was  elected  as  the 
President.  Then  of  the  calling  of  the  representatives  of 
all  the  southern  states  together,  and  passing  of  the  Act 


20  Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 

of  Secession,  the  firing  on  Fort  Sumpter,  and  the  inaug- 
uration of  the  War  of  the  Rebellion.  Of  the  progress  of 
the  war  up  to  this  date,  (in  1862).  Attention  was  call- 
ed to  the  varied  successes  and  failures  of  the  battles 
fought  so  far.  Then  was  made  the  statement :  "Mr.  Lin- 
coln you  have  been  called  to  be  the  head  of  this  nation 
for  the  purpose  of  freeing  the  slaves,  you  have  been  call- 
ed from  a  slave  state,  from  the  ranks  of  the  abject  poor, 
to  fill  this  great  mission  TO  FREE  THE  SLAVES  OF 
THE  SOUTHERN  STATES.  You  have  prepared  an 
Emancipation  Proclamation,  but  have  hesitated  to  sign 
it,  and  proclaim  it.  You  have  listened  to  the  arguments 
raised  by  many  of  your  friends,  as  to  the  propriety  of 
issuing  the  Proclamation  at  this  time. 

This  is  to  urge  you  to  sign  the  proclamation  at  once, 
do  your  duty,  fill  your  mission  for  which  you  were  rais- 
ed up.  By  so  doing  success  will  crown  the  Union  Arms, 
from  the  date  the  Emancipation  Proclamation  goes  into 
effect.  The  rebellion  will  be  crushed,  peace  and  order 
will  be  restored,  when  the  greatest  possible  prosperity 
will  bless  this  Nation,  that  will  rise  to  be  the  world 
power,  and  carry  freedom  to  all  the  slaves  and  oppressed 
of  earth."  This  oration  was  the  grandest  I  ever  listened 
to. 

Then  added:  "Failing  to  do  your  duty,  in  signing 
and  issuing  the  Emancipation  Proclamation,  failure  will 
attend  your  efforts,  the  Southern  States  will  succeed  in 
disrupting  the  Union,  then  other  states  and  govern- 
ments will  arise,  the  North-western  states  and  territor- 
ies will  form  a  government.  The  South-western  states 
and  territories  will  form  another,  the  Pacific  states  and 
territories  will  form  a  government  of  their  own, 
the  Southern  and  Eastern  states  will  divide  on  the  line  of 


Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist  21 

Virginia  and  eastern  Ohio,  then  great  contentions  will 
arise  over  the  navigation  and  control  of  the  Mississippi 
river." 

While  the  Southern  States  would  nominally  succeed 
at  this  time,  their  success  would  lead  to  endless  suffering 
and  hardships  to  the  people  of  this  Nation.  It  was  cer- 
tainly the  most  dismal  picture  I  ever  listened  to. 

The  wind  up  was  to  urge  the  action  at  once  to  sign 
the  Emancipation  Proclamation,  by  so  doing  secure  the 
greatest  glory,  peace  and  prosperity  of  this  Nation  and 
people.  The  picture  was  a  glorious  one  showing  this 
Nation  as  a  world  power,  leading  to  the  Emancipation  of 
the  oppressed  of  all  Nations  and  people.  This  talk  last- 
ed about  one  hour.  When  through,  the  control  left  the 
little  girl,  she  looked  around  in  a  confused  manner  and 
returned  to  the  bed  room  from  whence  she  came. 

With  her  disappearance,  nothing  was  said  for  some 
time,  the  President  turned  in  his  seat,  threw  his  long 
right  leg  over  the  arm  of  his  chair,  buried  his  face  in  his 
hands  fully  five  minutes,  then,  then  looking  around  to  the 
Judge  said;  "Was  not  this  wonderful?".  "Yes"  said 
the  Judge,  "Who  do  you  think  did  this  talking?"  At  this 
remark  Mr.  Lincoln  pointed  to  the  full  length  portrait 
of  Daniel  Webster  hanging  on  the  wall  of  the  room. 

He  was  asked  about  the  preparation  of  the  Emanci- 
pation Proclamation.  He  said  that  much  pressure  had 
been  made  to  prevent  the  Proclamation  from  being  is- 
sued at  this  time.  At  this  we  took  our  leave  of  the  host 
of  the  evening,  entered  the  carriage  and  were  soon  at  the 
White  House.  On  the  road  home  but  little  was  said  by 
any  of  the  remarkable  meeting  we  had  attended. 

It  certainly  made  a  wonderful  impression  on  Mr. 
Lincoln's  mind,  as  he  referred  to  it  at  our  next  meeting 


22  Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 

in  connection  with  the  rail  road  matter  we  were  discus- 
sing, that  was  carried  to  a  successful  conclusion." 

It  is  a  historic  fact,  the  Emancipation  Proclamation 
was  soon  issued,  in  the  month  of  September  1862,  offer- 
ing the  slave  owners  the  alternative  of  freeing  their 
slaves  between  that  date  and  January  1,  1863,  and  re- 
ceiving their  value  to  be  paid  by  the  Government,  and  re- 
turning to  the  Union,  otherwise  the  slaves  should  be  freed 
forever  without  any  remuneration  to  the  former  owners. 

It  should  be  noted  the  Battle  of  Stone  River  was 
fought  January  1st  and  2nd,  1863,  resulting  in  success 
to  the  Union  Arms,  and  that  every  general  engagement 
fought  after  this  date  was  victorious  to  the  Union  Arms. 
We  who  were  at  Vicksburg  Miss.,  July  4th,  1863,  well  re- 
member the  glorious  entering  of  that  City  on  that  day, 
and  of  the  culmination  of  the  four  years  of  warfare  in 
the  surrender  at  Appotomax,  and  when  Johnson  sur- 
rendered to  Sherman.  Col.  Kase  stated  in  carrying  out 
the  rail  road  plans,  it  was  necessary  to  visit  Washington 
a  number  of  times,  and  confer  with  the  President,  that 
he  and  Judge  Soames  were  often  invited  to  be  present  at 
the  White  House  of  evenings  to  meet  Miss  Nettie  Col- 
burn,  the  young  girl  medium  they  met  at  the  home  of 
the  Laurie's  in  Georgetown. 

There  were  present  members  of  the  Cabinet,  mili- 
tary men,  and  civilians  of  national  fame,  such  men  as 
General  Sickles  and  others. 

This  interview  with  Col.  Kase  made  a  deep  impres- 
sion on  my  mind,  and  seemed  to  interest  Mr.  Thayer  very 
much,  as  he  had  not  heard  Col.  Ease's  report  of  this  in- 
terview with  Mr.  Lincoln. 

As  a  sequel  to  this  interview  in  Boston  in  1871-2. 
twenty  years  passed,  when  one  day  I  picked  up  a  daily 


Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist  23 

paper,  and  saw  a  notice  of  the  death  of  Nettie  Colbourn 
Maynard,  that  the  story  of  her  life  had  been  published 
by  Rufus  C.  Hartranft  publisher  in  Philidelphia.  I  or- 
dered the  Book  and  found  that  Col.  Kase  had  given  Mr. 
Hartranft  the  same  information  he  gave  M.  Thayer  and 
myself  twenty  years  before. 

The  book  was  dictated  by  Mrs.  Maynard  to  a  steno- 
grapher, just  before  her  heath,  and  stated,  after  the  in- 
terview with  the  President  at  the  Laurie's,  that  Mr. 
Lincoln  asked  her  to  remain  in  Washington,  and  request- 
ed the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  to  give  Miss  Nettie  a 
position  in  the  Seed  Department,  that  the  President  call- 
ed her  to  the  White  House  often,  giving  a  graphic  ac- 
count of  the  call  during  the  two  days  battle  of  Chancel- 
orsville,  Va.  The  Book  is  certainly  to  me  interesting 
reading. 


Materialized  Hands 

The  next  evening  after  the  meeting  at  Mrs.  Thay- 
er's, the  Doctor  and  I  attended  a  meeting  of  some  ten  or 
twelve  investigators,  at  a  pleasant  home  place,  where  in 
a  neat  home  parlor  an  extension  dining  table  was  sitting, 
with  one  of  the  boards  removed.  Over  the  opening  was 
sitting  an  empty  candle  box,  with  one  end  and  side  re- 
moved, the  inside  covered  with  dark  cloth,  that  afforded 
a  black  back  ground,  the  space  on  the  top  of  the  table  on 
each  side  of  the  box  covered  with  cloth,  while  a  heavy 
dark  cloth  was  hanging  all  around  the  frame  of  the 
table,  so  if  one  was  sitting  under  the  table  it  would  be 
dark,  and  if  a  hand  should  be  thrust  up  into  the  candle 
box,  it  could  be  plainly  seen  by  any  one  in  the  room,  in 
the  line  of  vision  of  the  opening  of  the  box. 


24  Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 

The  medium  was  sitting  among  the  spectators,  and 
seemed  to  be  an  interested  spectator.  I  occupied  the 
next  chair  to  hers  the  most  of  the  evening.  When  quiet 
was  had,  soon  hands  began  to  appear,  thrust  up  in  the 
box  in  answer  to  questions,  Is  this  hand  for  me?.  The 
answer  was  made  by  motion  of  the  hand  until  someone 
would  be  answered  "yes."  The  name  of  the  owner  of  the 
hand  would  be  spelled  out  by  repeating  the  alphabet,  and 
in  every  case  given  correctly,  so  stated  by  those  present. 
In  several  cases  permission  was  given  to  shake  hands,  so 
I  asked  permission  in  one  case,  which  was  granted.  In 
taking  the  hand,  it  seemed  to  be  a  hand  of  some  one, 
when  I  grasped  it  strongly  it  disappeared  in  my  grasp. 

There  were  several  ladies  present  who  asked  per- 
mission to  place  their  finger  rings  on  the  fingers  of  the 
hands,  which  was  granted,  or  the  rings  were  deposited 
on  the  table  in  front  of  the  box,  taken  off,  and  appear- 
ed on  the  finger  of  the  hand  inside  of  the  bov.  In  some 
cases  the  rings  were  returned  to  the  table,  in  others  the 
rings  were  found  on  the  floor  afterwards. 

There  were  all  kinds  and  sizes  of  hands,  babies,  chil- 
dren, men,  coarse,  small  and  large,  many  hands. 

When  the  exhibition  was  ended  I  asked  permission 
to  investigate,  which  was  granted.  I  stripped  the  table 
of  the  curtain,  turned  the  table  up-side  down,  examined 
the  legs,  the  boards,  the  carpets,  the  walls  of  the  room, 
as  the  gas  light  was  on  full  during  the  evening,  there 
was  no  deception  practiced  in  the  dark.  I  found  the 
rings  that  had  not  been  returned,  lying  on  the  floor.  I 
could  not  see  any  attempt  at  deception,  and  was  at  a  loss 
to  account  for  the  many  hands  I  saw  that  appeared  inside 
that  box,  as  it  was  a  plain  candle  box,  from  the  grocery 
store. 


Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist  25 


The  Doctor 

With  reference  to  the  Doctor  who  accompanied  me 
in  my  investigations,  he  was  a  young  man.  I  learned  he 
had  been  a  street  waif.  As  a  child  brought  up  by  the  col- 
lege faculty,  where  he  graduated  as  a  physician,  and  was 
the  janitor's  assistant.  His  peculair  mental  characteris- 
tics attracted  the  attention  of  the  college  faculty,  so  they 
decided  to  make  a  test  case  of  the  young  man.  His  name 
was  placed  on  the  roll  of  students.  He  did  not  attend 
lectures,  nor  was  he  given  opportunity  to  study.  When 
his  class  was  called  for  examination,  his  name  was  called 
and  he  stood  his  share  of  the  examination  and  usually 
stood  at  the  head  of  his  class  on  examination  day.  When 
the  day  came  for  the  final  examination  he  stood  at  the 
head  of  his  class  and  received  his  diploma  entitling  him 
to  practice  melicine. 

The  understanding  among  the  profession  was  that 
he  of  himself  had  no  medical  education,  but  was  control- 
led by  old  College  professors  of  this  College,  who  had  pas- 
sed on,  who  controlled  the  young  man  in  his  examinat- 
ions, and  when  called  into  consultation  with  extreme 
cases  of  disease,  his  judgment  was  first  class.  As  a  re- 
sult the  young  man  did  not  have  a  general  practice,  but 
was  used  by  the  medical  doctors  in  the  city  as  a  consult- 
ing physician  in  extreme  complicated  cases  of  disease. 

It  was  interesting  to  see  how  he  was  controlled  by  a 
crowd  of  boy  spirits,  earth  bound  waifs,  of  the  young 
man's  type,  who  would  control  him  to  buy  and  eat  stick 
candy  ravenously,   and  scrap  over  who  would   control 


26  Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 

him  to  get  the  benefits  of  the  effects  of  the  candy.  He 
seemed  to  have  no  business  judgment,  did  not  seem  to  be 
himself,  but  under  control  all  the  time,  usually  by  a 
crowd  of  boys,  when  it  came  to  meeting  people  of  educa- 
tion and  business  such  as  was  met  at  the  flower  seance, 
he  was  controlled  by  his  leading  control. 

This  was  an  eye  opener  to  me.  I  decided  then  and 
there,  in  the  future  I  should  be  myself,  and  never  allow 
myself  to  be  controled  by  outside  influences,  but  use 
whatever  judgment  I  possessed,  open  to  impressions  that 
may  come  from  my  inner  consciousness  on  all  business 
and  social  matters  of  life. 

During  my  years  of  personal  investigation,  I  have 
made  it  a  rule  to  listen  to  all  arguments  and  suggestions, 
pro  and  con,  placing  a  question  mark  behind  them, 
watch  and  wait  development.  Do  not  accept  anything  as 
final  until  you  know. 


Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist  27 


New   York 

From  the  City  of  Boston  I  went  to  the  City  of  New- 
York.  At  about  2  p.m.  on  a  bright  sunny  winter  after- 
noon, I  visited  the  home  of  a  Mr.  Slade,  who  personally 
answered  the  door  bell,  inviting  me  to  the  hallway,  where 
I  told  him  I  came  for  a  slate  writing  interview.  When  I 
was  invited  into  the  neat  front  parlor,  with  the  window 
blinds  wide  open,  the  bright  sunlight  streaming  in  made 
an  inviting  place.  The  furniture  was  the  common  parlor 
furniture  of  easy  chairs  and  small  center  table,  with 
books,  etc. 

We  seated  ourselves  at  a  bare  wooden  table  about 
4x5  feet  in  size,  Slade  seated  opposite  to  me  with  the 
corner  of  the  table  between  us,  our  knees  almost  touch- 
ed one  another.  Lying  on  the  table  was  a  common 
school  slate  and  pencil.  Slade  handed  me  the  slate  that 
I  cleaned  from  all  former  writings.  Then  holding  the 
slate  with  the  blank  side  of  the  slate  toward  Slade  I 
wrote  my  questions  that  I  had  prepared  in  my  mind  in 
advance.  When  I  wrote  my  question  I  turned  the  writ- 
ing down,  and  passed  the  end  of  the  slate  to  Slade,  so 
he  could  touch  the  end  of  the  slate  under  the  table,  still 
holding  my  end  of  the  slate. 

In  a  few  mintes  after  Slade's  hands  touched  the 
slate,  I  heard  and  felt  the  lower  face  of  the  slate  was 
being  written  on,  when  the  writing  was  completed,  three 
taps  on  the  slate  indicated  the  writing  was  finished. 
Slade  released  his  hold  of  the  slate,  I  then  raised  it  be- 
fore my  eyes  and  in  every  instance  my    question    was 


28  Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 

answered  to  the  point.  I  would  rub  out  the  writing  and 
write  the  next  question.  The  answers  received  prompt- 
ed other  questions,  so  I  was  about  an  hour  at  the  work, 
in  the  meantime  there  was  no  conversation  between  us, 
but  there  was  something  going  on  most  of  the  time. 

The  slate  was  wrenched  from  our  hands,  carried 
beyond  and  above  the  table,  in  full  view,  then  carried 
back  and  placed  in  our  hands  as  before.  My  chair  was 
shaken,  my  clothing  pulled  in  a  playful  manner,  face 
patted,  the  parlor  chairs  on  castors  would  run  across 
the  room,  come  to  the  table  opposite  my  seat,  then  run 
back  to  where  they  started.  Several  books  lying  on  the 
center  table  were  swept  from  the  table  across  the  room. 
The  conditions  became  so  lively,  that  Slade  said  as  if 
speaking  to  third  parties,  in  a  laughing  manner;  "Do 
please  let  up,  don't  make  such  a  racket."  At  this  the 
playful  condition  that  had  been  going  on  ceased. 

After  asking  all  the  questions  that  came  into  my 
mind,  and  receiving  direct  answers  to  all  of  them,  all  in 
full  day  light,  no  one  in  the  room  but  Slade  and  I,  seat- 
ed in  front  of  Slade,  so  that  it  was  an  utter  impossibility 
for  Slade  to  see  my  written  questions,  yet  answers  came 
when  Slade' s  hand  touched  the  slate,  and  not  before.  I 
held  the  slate  down  lying  on  the  table  with  a  bit  of  pen- 
cil the  size  of  a  kernel  of  wheat  under  the  slate,  when 
Slades  hand  touched  the  slate  the  writing  in  answer  to 
my  questions  would  be  given. 

I  tested  every  device  I  could  think  of  as  a  test,  yet 
the  answers  came  on  the  slate  to  my  questions  just  the 
same.  Slade  himself  could  not  possibly  have  written 
them.  The  question  in  my  mind  from  that  day  to  this 
is  "Who  Did?" 


Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist  29 


Chicago 

Arriving  in  Chicago  from  New  York  on  a  late 
morning  train,  after  registering  at  one  of  the  Hotels,  I 
hurried  to  a  meeting  being  held  on  Clark  Street.  Being 
my  first  visit  I  was  an  entire  stranger  to  everyone  pre- 
sent. I  was  seated  about  the  center  of  the  hall,  well 
filled  with  listeners,  the  speaker  was  on  the  platform. 

In  a  few  minutes  after  being  seated,  the  speaker 
pointed  me  out  stating  that  I  was  accompanied  by  an 
Army  Officer,  who  was  standing  by  the  side  of  my  chair, 
described  his  shoulder  straps  as  that  of  an  eagle,  wear- 
ing a  cap,  and  described  Col.  James.  J.  Dollins,  Colonel 
commanding  my  regiment,  (my  uncle  by  marriage), 
who  was  instantly  killed  in  an  assault  on  the  enemy's 
works  at  Vicksburg  Miss.,  May  22,  1863. 

The  statement  was  then  made,  as  from  the  Colonel, 
that  he  had  aided  me  all  possible,  that  he  secured  me  to 
be  appointed  Adjutant  of  the  Regiment  from  the  ranks 
of  Company  H,  upon  the  Death  of  Regimental  Adjutant 
Z.  Hammack,  who  fell  mortally  wounded  at  the  time  the 
Colonel  was  killed,  that  he  had  aided  me  all  possible  in 
my  work  as  the  Adjutant  of  the  Regiment,  and  since 
in  my  business  matters,  that  now  I  had  my  business 
matters  in  good  shape,  that  his  family,  widowed  wife, 
with  their  four  (4)  children  were  well  provided  for,  and 
as  the  time  had  come  when  he  was  able  to  take  up  a 
life's  work  on  a  higher  plane  of  future  work,  he  would 
bid  me  an  adieu  for  the  present. 


30  Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 

As  no  one  present  knew  me  nor  the  Army  Officer 
decribed,  it  created  a  deep  impression  on  my  mind,  and 
as  a  sequel,  I  will  state  that  I  have  not  been  conscious  of 
the  presence  of  the  Colonel  but  twice  since  that  time, 
(1871-2.) 

With  reference  to  Col.  Dollin's  military  service, 
will  state  he  entered  the  military  service  as  Captain  of 
Co.  C.  31,  Ills.  Infantry,  General  John  A.  Logan's  regi- 
ment. He  organized  and  commanded  the  81,  Ills.  Vol- 
unteers Infantry,  in  1862.  I  was  a  private  in  Co.  H. 
During  the  Vicksburg  Campaign  I  was  detailed  as  the 
Regimental  Clerk.  Our  Regiment,  participated  in  all 
the  battles  of  that  campaign,  and  during  the  Campaign 
the  Colonel  and  I  slept  under  the  same  blanket.  The 
battle  of  Port  Gibson  was  fought  on  the  1st  of  May, 
1863,  at  Raymond,  the  12th,  at  Jackson  the  14th,  (the 
State  Capitol)  and  at  Champions  Hill  on  the  16th.  The 
Battle  at  Champions  Hills  was  of  a  decisive  character. 
That  cut  off  Vicksburg  from  any  aid  from  the  confed- 
erate Armies.  We  became  engaged  about  10  a.m.  Late 
in  the  evening  we  had  driven  the  enemy  back  several 
miles,  near  the  Black  River  Bridge,  when  our  Division 
(General  John  A.  Logan  Commanding),  was  relieved 
by  a  Division  of  fresh  troops.  We  filed  off  the  road  in- 
to a  woods  pasture,  and  went  into  bivouac  camp.  After 
eating  our  haversack  supper  of  hard  tack  and  bacon,  I 
prepared  our  bed  of  the  blankets  from  the  horses,  with 
the  saddles  for  pillows,  and  laid  down  to  rest.  The  Col- 
onel was  much  excited,  he  visited  the  Captains  of  all 
the  Companies,  talking  over  the  events  of  the  day,  when 
he  came  to  our  bed  and  laid  down,  he  was  still  much  ex- 
cited, and  kept  talking.  At  last  he  made  a  remark  that 
gave  me  a  chance  to  ask  the  question  I  had  desired  to 


Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist  31 

ask  for  several  days.  How  is  it,  Colonel,  that  you  can 
tell  in  advance  what  will  happen  day  by  day?  All  dur- 
ing this  Campaign  you  have  told  us  in  advance  if  we 
would  meet  the  enemy  or  not,  day  by  day.  While  we  ex- 
pected to  meet  the  enemy  at  many  times,  if  you  said 
they  would  retreat  or  give  battle,  it  has  resulted  just  as 
you  said  it  would  be.  Now  this  morning  you  said  we 
would  meet  the  enemy  today  and  win  a  glorious  victory. 
The  officers  and  the  men  are  all  talking  about  it.  HOW 
IS  IT?    In  reply  the  Colonel  made  this  statement: 

You  remember  when  I  came  home  after  I  was 
wounded  in  the  skirmish  with  the  Rebel  General  For- 
rest's command,  when  in  command  of  a  Battallion  of 
Cavalry,  we  drove  Forrest  across  the  Obine  River  in 
West  Tenn.,  I  was  wounded  in  the  head  and  right  foot. 
My  wounds  were  light  so  I  was  able  to  go  on  a  crutch, 
and  organized  our  Regiment. 

The  night  before  this  skirmish,  I  saw  the  Rebel 
shoot  me  just  as  plain  as  when  it  happened.  We  were 
driving  them  before  us  through  the  Obine  River  bottom, 
when  just  in  front  of  me,  a  rebel  stepped  from  a  tree, 
having  the  "drop"  on  me,  dodging  my  head  just  as  he 
fired,  the  ball  from  a  squirrel  rifle  struck  my  head  a 
glancing  blow,  and  followed  around  the  skull  and  was 
cut  out  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  head.  It  did  not 
knock  me  from  my  horse,  while  the  soldier  by  my  side 
killed  my  assailant.  In  a  few  minutes  my  stirrup  and 
bottom  of  my  foot  was  struck  by  a  bullet,  smashing  the 
saddle  stirrup,  and  wounding  the  sole  of  my  foot,  so 
that  I  was  compeled  to  use  a  crutch  for  some  time  in 
walking. 

Now  on  this  Campaign  I  have  seen  the  events  in  a 
panoramic  view  passing  before  me,  the  night    before, 


32  Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 

just  as  it  afterwards  happened.  That  is  why  I  felt  so 
confident  of  Victory  today.  I  saw  the  events  of  today 
pass  my  view  last  night. 

As  a  sequel:  During  the  17th-18th-19th  and  20th, 
our  army  closed  in  around  the  enemy's  works.  On  the 
22nd  General  Grant  ordered  an  assault  all  along  the 
lines  at  10  a.m..  In  this  assault  Colonel  Dollins  was  killed 
ed  instantly  by  a  bullet  through  the  head,  the  Adjutant 
Z.  Hammock  mortaly  wounded,  and  died  on  the  29th. 
While  I  was  made  Adjutant  from  the  ranks  of  Co.  H. 

The  morning  of  the  22nd,  Col.  Dollins  awoke  me 
from  a  sound  sleep  and  told  me  to  pass  down  the  lines 
of  the  Regiment  and  ask  the  Officers  to  assemble  at 
headquarters.  When  all  had  assembled  he  led  the  way 
up  the  hill-side  out  of  ear  shot  of  the  soldiers,  and  stat- 
ed to  the  Officers,  (as  told  me  by  Lieutenant  Simmons) 
we  will  soon  receive  orders  to  assault  the  rebel  works. 
The  assault  is  a  mistake,  but  orders  must  be  obeyed, 
many  will  be  killed  and  wounded,  as  for  myself  I  do  not 
expect  to  return  from  that  hill  alive,  (pointing  over  to 
the  enemy's  works  on  the  opposite  hill.  (  Then  he  gave 
directions  as  to  the  movements  of  the  companies  etc. 
dismissing  them.  Soon  he  ordered  the  E.  Regiment  in- 
to line  and  examined  carefully  every  musket  ,  cartridge 
box,  and  canteen,  to  know  that  everything  was  in  pro- 
per order.  The  soldiers  noticed  the  great  change  in  his 
action  and  appearance  between  this  inspection  and  the 
inspection  of  the  morning  before  the  Battle  of  Champ- 
ion Hills,  when  he  was  jolly  with  the  boys.  This  morn- 
ing his  cheeks  were  blanched,  his  attempt  to  be  jolly 
was  a  failure,  the  soldiers  noticed  it  and  spoke  to  one 
another  about  it. 

I  learned  from  General  Logan,  that  he  had  visited 


Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist  33 

his  Headquarters,  and  told  him  of  his  desires  that  his 
body  be  sent  to  his  home  in  Benton  Ills.,  for  burial  stat- 
ing to  Logan  that  he  would  be  killed.  Logan  made  the 
promise  and  fulfilled  it  to  the  letter. 

By  what  power  did  Colonel  Dollins  know  in  ad- 
vance of  our  victories,  defeats,  and  his  own  death?  His 
remains  now  lie  in  the  Cemetery  in  the  City  of  Benton, 
Franklin  County,  Illinois. 

NOTE — I  have  known  Major  General  John  A.  Logan  all 
my  life.  He  lived  a  neighbor  to  Colonel  J.  Dollins. 
General  Logan  detailed  to  me  Colonel  Dollins*  visit  to 
his  Headquarters  early  in  the  morning  of  May  22nd, 
1863,  who  told  him  of  his  coming  death-warning  and  re- 
ceived General  Logan's  promise  that  his  body  should  be 
sent  home  for  burial  which  was  fulfilled  to  the  letter. 


34  Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 


Minneapolis,  Minn. 

One  of  my  most  enjoyable  visits  was  in  Minneapol- 
is Minn.,  where  in  my  Hotel,  I  met  during  two  evenings 
the  Superintendent  of  the  Minneapolis  High  Schools, 
who  occupied  the  adjoining  room  to  my  own. 

I  am  unable  to  go  into  details  of  the  conditions 
claimed  to  exist  on  the  planet  Jupiter,  as  claimed  by  the 
Superintendant's  control,  who  asserted  himself  to  be  a 
resident  of  that  planet,  on  a  visit  to  this  Earth  for  the 
purpose  'of  studying  Earth's  conditions :  that  he  claim- 
ed were  in  many  respects  crude,  in  comparison  with  ad- 
vanced conditions  on  the  older  planet— Jupiter. 

In  answer  to  my  enquiries,  he  attempted  to  get  me 
to  understand  conditions  on  the  Planet  Jupiter — in  the 
matter  of  land,  air  and  water  transportation,  describ- 
ing their  boats,  manner  of  propelling  them,  the  power 
used,  how  applied,  land  and  air  transportation,  the 
home  life  and  government,  with  life's  conditions  gener- 
ally. I  confess  I  did  not  comprehend  many  of  his  state- 
ments. 

He  claimed  the  day  of  investigation  and  upward 
progress  had  just  begun  on  earth,  when  inventors  and 
advanced  scientific  minds  of  other  planets,  could  im- 
press and  control  similar  advanced  minds  of  this  Earth, 
creating  improvements  in  all  lines  of  human  industries, 
and  studies,  that  would  mean  wonderful  advancement 
in  all  of  the  efforts  to  bring  happiness  to  the  people  of 
Earth,  not  dreamed  of  today. 


Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist  35 

Looking  back  fifty  years  to  that  date,  and  the  con- 
ditions at  that  time  compared  with  the  conditions  and 
inventions  of  today,  I  can  now  dimly  understand  his 
statements,  as  to  coming  conditions  in  the  near  future  on 
this  earth,  describing  social,  transportation  by  land, 
air,  and  water  conditions.  All  of  which  was  very  in- 
teresting in  view  of  the  statement  by  scientists  of  the 
possibilities  of  communication  with  the  different  plan- 
ets, that  will  in  the  no  distant  future  be  recognized  as 
an  accomplished  fact  here. 


36  Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 


Residence  in  Chicago,  111. 

During  a  two  years  residence  in  Chicago  Ills.,  in 
the  70's,  I  embraced  every  oportunity  to  attend  the 
lectures  of  Cora  L.  Richmond,  who  impressed  me  as  be- 
ing under  wonderful  control. 

When  the  subject  matter  of  her  lecture  had  not 
been  previously  announced  ,  the  presiding  officer  would 
announce  the  subject  would  be  selected  by  the  audience, 
and  ask  for  nominations.  At  some  of  the  meetings  as 
many  as  half  a  dozen  subjects  would  be  handed  in  when  a 
majority  vote  would  make  the  election. 

When  the  subject  was  announced,  the  speaker  would 
stand  quietly  for  a  few  minutes,  then  launch  directly 
into  a  discussion  of  the  subject.  It  made  no  difference 
how  intricate  the  subject  should  be,  it  would  be  handled 
in  a  masterly  manner.  Often  data  and  information 
would  be  given,  on  complicated  subjects,  that  it  would 
seem  to  require  much  study  by  the  ordinary  speaker. 

At(  the  close  of  the  lecture,  the  presiding  officer 
would  announce  a  poem  would  be  delivered  on  a  sub- 
ject selected  by  the  audience  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
lecture.  When  selected  and  the  subject  announced,  Mrs. 
Richmond  would  at  once  enter  into  the  subject  and  del- 
iver it  as  if  she  was  reading  it  from  manuscript,  often 
they  were  taken  down  by  short  hand  reporters,  and 
when  published  in  the  morning  papers,  would  read  as 
if  given  much  study,  and  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  lin- 
es of  reading  matter,  perfect  in  expression.  This  pow- 
er seemed  marvelous  to  my  mind. 


Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist  37 


Denver 

While  making  my  home  in  Denver,  Colo.,  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  80's,  it  was  very  interesting  to  attend 
meetings  of  Mrs.  Emma  Buline,  a  cousin  of  my  wife, 
who  was  a  welcome  visitor  at  our  Home.  Mrs.  Emma 
Bulline  was  the  lecturer  for  a  society  in  Denver,  the 
Hall  was  usually  filled  each  Sunday  at  the  different  lec- 
tures. 

In  answer  to  my  question,  in  what  manner  does 
your  control  deliver  the  wonderful  lectures  we  hear 
from  your  lips,  second  only  to  the  lectures  delivered  by 
Mrs.  Richmond,  as  you  officiate  as  your  own  chairman, 
in  making  all  announcements  and  transacting  the  busi- 
ness of  the  Society?    She  said: 

In  all  her  business  transactions,  making  announce- 
ments, etc,  she  was  in  her  normal  condition,  but  gave 
no  thought  or  study  to  the  lectures  delivered.  You  may 
notice  the  subjects  to  be  discussed  are  announced.  There 
is  a  band  of  six  advanced  spirits  that  have  banded 
together  who  look  after  the  lectures,  and  in  my  Book 
just  issued,  on  the  history  of  the  Cliff  Dwellers,  that 
you  are  so  much  interested  in,  when  the  time  for  my 
lecture  comes,  some  one  of  the  band  who  has  been 
assigned  to  that  duty  stands  ready  to  assume  that  duty. 
After  making  the  announcements,  I  stand  for  a  few  mo- 
ments in  a  passive  attitude,  when  I  seem  to  be  standing 
by  the  side  of  myself,  I  am  a  spectator,  and  as  much  in- 
terested as  any  one  in  the  audience  at  what    is   being 


38  Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 

said  through  my  organism,  I  remember  it  as  you  do- 
When  the  lecture  is  completed,  I  seem  to  step  into  my- 
self and  assume  my  normal  condition.  I  then  go  ahead 
with  the  business  of  the  society. 

She  stated  she  understood  that  many  speakers  lost 
complete  control  of  their  organism,  and  were  uncon- 
scious of  what  was  being  delivered  through  their  organ- 
ism.      Others  only  partially  conscious. 

To  me  this  information  was  very  interesting,  as  I 
know  I  was  receiving  the  truth. 


The  Regimental  Chaplain 

While  on  an  Illinois  Central  R.  R.  train  from  Chi- 
cago into  Southern  Illinois,  I  met  our  old  Regimental 
Chaplain.  The  meeting  was  mutualy  cordial.  After 
talking  of  conditions  in  our  army  life,  the  talk  drifted 
into  present  conditions,  and  he  made  this  statement: 

You  may  remember  during  the  War,  while  the 
Chaplain  of  our  Regiment  I  preached  the  doctrine  of 
Predestination,  as  preached  by  your  grand  father.  On 
returning  to  civil  life,  my  studies  of  the  Bible  caused 
me  to  question  that  idea.  I  went  to  the  older  members 
of  the  church  for  information.  I  found  them  as  deep  in 
the  mud  as  I  was  in  the  mire,  so  I  have  resigned  from 
the  Baptist  Church,  and  connected  myself  with  the  Free 
Will  Baptist,  as  the  pastor  in  one  of  their  Churches,  and 
now  preach  MAN'S  FREE  WILL,  as  taught  in  the 
Bible.  I  have  just  been  informed  that  Chaplain  Willi- 
am Carner,  of  Duquoin  Ills,  has  gone  to  his  reward, 
(our  Chaplain). 


Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist  39 


An  Eye  Opener  to  Me 

I  was  a  travelling  man  for  a  St.  Louis  Mo.  Manu- 
facturing firm  in  the  70s.  During  one  of  my  trips  in 
Michigan  I  called  on  Colonel  William  Ferry,  who  was  a 
Colonel  in  one  of  the  Michigan  Regiments  during  the 
Civil  War.  After  transacting  my  business  with  him, 
he  invited  me  to  take  dinner  with  him  and  his  estimable 
wife,  which  I  gladly  accepted. 

Just  as  the  Colonel  was  arising  from  the  table,  in 
answer  to  some  remark  that  had  been  made,  he  said: 
I  am  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church  here,  one  of  the 
church  wardens,  and  superintendant  of  the  Snuday 
School,  but  I  do  not  believe  the  Church  articles  of  faith. 
I  was  much  surprised  to  hear  this  remark,  and  looking 
across  the  table  into  Mrs.  Ferry's  face,  I  saw  she  was 
not  surprised  but  seemed  to  express  full  assent.  I  fol- 
lowed the  Colonel  into  the  Library,  when  he  reached 
into  one  of  the  shelves,  taking  down  a  book,  Articles  of 
Faith  of  the  Methodist  Church,  read  it  carefully,  then 
added,  I  do  not  believe  these.  In  my  surprise  I  said : 
Colonel  how  do  you  square  your  action  in  your  Church 
membership,  with  your  statement?  Said  the  Colonel; 
As  I  find  society  here  now  organized,  I  feel  I  can  do  the 
greatest  amount  of  good  to  the  present  and  the  rising 
generation,  by  my  action,  in  teaching  the  young  mor- 
ality, truth  and  right  living. 

This  was  certainly  an  EYE  OPENER  TO  ME,  and 
explained  to  me  the  action  of  many  business  men  with 
reference  to  Church  Membership. 


40  Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 


City  of  Mexico,  Mexico 

During  the  past  thirty-five  years,  I  made  my  home, 
office  and  business,  that  of  Real  Estate,  in  the  City  of 
Mexico,  Mexico.  Leading  an  active  business  life,  I  man- 
aged to  attend  church  services  with  my  Grand  Army 
Post  No.  100,  Dept.  of  the  Tenn.  organized  by  about 
twenty-five  of  the  old  Civil  War  Veterans,  when  on  the 
Sabbath  before  May  30th,  we  attended  one  of  the 
Churches  in  the  City,  on  the  invitation  of  one  of  the 
Priests  or  Church  Ministers. 

Under  the  law  priests  or  church  ministers  cannot 
head  a  procession  of  the  people.  The  general  public  can 
form  processions  and  pass  along  the  streets  of  the  cities, 
but  no  church  processions  are  allowed. 

Only  civil  law  marriages  are  legal.  Marriages 
solemnized  by  a  priest  or  minister,  must  be  legalized  by 
a  marriage  license,  and  solemnized  by  a  justice  of  the 
peace  or  some  civil  officer  authorized  to  perform  the  duty. 

As  a  result  the  double  marriages  are  common  among 
the  well-to-do  people.  As  illustrated  in  the  case  of  one 
of  my  stenographers,  a  young  man  from  Penna,  who 
fell  in  love  with  a  Spanish-French  girl.  The  priest  want- 
ed $1000,  to  open  the  Church  and  decorate  it  and  per- 
form the  ceremony.  The  young  man  objected.  The 
priest  offered  to  cut  the  fee  to  500  pesos,  still  the  young 
man  objected.  He  then  came  to  me  and  asked  my  assist- 
ance with  the  Methodist  minister,  who  told  him  he  would 
not  charge  him.  As  a  result  they  were  married  by  the 
Methodist  minister,  then  by  the  civil  authorities,  duly 
legalizing  the  marriage. 


Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist  41 


Long  Beach,  Calif. 

I  had  a  friend  of  mine  named  Jones,  (that  is  not  his 
name,  if  it  is  desired  to  interview  him  his  name  and  ad- 
dress will  be  gladly  given) .  I  first  met  him  as  a  home- 
steader living  on  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land 
in  Kern  County,  my  neighbor,  where  I  had  homesteaded 
320  acres  and  secured  a  Government  patent  for  the  same. 

Jones  gave  me  the  following  statement  of  happen- 
ings in  Long  Beach  a  few  years  ago,  when  a  group  of  his 
neighbors  formed  a  circle  for  the  study  of  the  Occult,  of- 
fering themselves  as  subjects  for  control.  He  soon  found 
he  was  controlled  by  a  band  of  spirits,  who  desired  to  take 
him  on  a  tour  of  inspection  of  their  homes,  in  their  plane 
of  life.  To  this  invitation  he  gave  his  consent,  as  he  de- 
sired to  gain  all  possible  information  with  regard  to  the 
future  state  of  life  in  the  different  planes  of  existence. 

As  a  result  his  physical  body  was  left  to  the  care  of 
one  of  their  band,  when  he  seemed  to  take  a  long  journey 
through  a  country  of  valleys,  plains,  mountains  and  riv- 
ers, timber  and  open  country,  until  they  came  to  the 
homes  of  his  conductors,  there  he  found  the  homes  and 
people  were  a  type  of  the  original  aborigines  of  this 
country.  They  did  not  have  tent-like  homes,  their  homes 
were  constructed  of  the  material  found  in  the  country,  in 
a  crude  manner.  "I  was  entertained,"  he  said,  "by  these 
people  and  given  every  attention.  They  played  their 
games,  held  their  meetings,  giving  me  to  know  their  cus- 
toms, then  took  me  journeys  over  the  country,  doing 
everything  in  their  power  to  make  me  contented  to  re- 


42  Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 

main  with  them.  They  seemed  to  live  in  a  country  of  a 
twilight,  never  dark,  nor  was  it  bright  light.  Like  on 
earth  everything  seemed  to  be  crude  and  rude.  I  soon 
tired  of  this  darkened  condition,  and  wanted  to  see  the 
full  light  of  day  again.  At  this  they  intimated  a  desire 
to  hold  me.  Then  my  thoughts  and  desires  for  help 
went  out  to  my  daughter  who  went  out  as  a  child  years 
before,  and  to  relatives  and  friends  in  spirit  life.  Soon 
I  became  conscious  of  a  great  light  streaming  through 
the  semi-darkness,  in  which  my  daughter  and  a  few 
friends  appeared.  When  the  natives  shrank  away,  my 
daughter  and  friends  took  control  of  me,  and  I  soon 
found  myself  with  and  in  conrtol  of  my  physical  body 
again.  At  that  I  looked  around  me,  and  resumed  my 
work.    That  of  carpentering. 

Noting  the  strange  action  of  my  fellow  employees, 
and  neighbors  toward  me,  I  soon  became  conscious  of  the 
fact  that  I  had  been  absent  from  my  work  three  days, 
lying  around  the  house  and  acting  very  strangely. 

I  could  not  tell  them  of  the  experience  I  had  passed 
through.  They  would  not  understand  it  or  believe  me. 
My  son  here  with  me  is  the  only  one  who  knows  anything 
of  the  truth  of  the  occurrence." 

I  received  a  confirnmation  of  his  statement,  in  an 
unlooked  for  manner.  When  it  came  time  for  me 
to  prove  up  on  my  homestead  I  went  to  Long  Beach  to 
see  Jones,  to  arrange  with  him  to  appear  in  the  land  of- 
fice. He  was  not  at  home.  On  enquiring  of  a  neighbor  as 
to  Jones  whereabouts,  I  found  he  was  working  in  San 
Pedro.  The  lady  then  went  on  and  told  me  that  her 
neighbor  acted  very  strangely,  no  doubt  the  result  of 
drink.  That  at  one  time  he  went  to  the  country  to  take 
up  his  homestead,  for  three  days  he  laid  around  the  house 


Thanatopsis  43 

refused  to  go  to  his  work,  would  run  around  the  house 
like  a  school  boy  whooping  and  yelling,  and  acting  very 
strangely,  but  since  he  had  returned  from  the  country 
this  time  he  was  acting  all  right,  and  she  hoped  he  would 
make  a  good  neighbor  again.  Meeting  Jones,  arrange- 
ments were  made  and  he  appeared  as  one  of  my  witnes- 
ses. 

I  did  not  understand  or  comprehend  the  statement 
made  by  my  friend  Jones.  On  enquiry  I  learned  that  he 
was  not  a  drinker,  but  that  had  always  been  a  teetotaller, 
as  he  claimed  to  be.  When  I  listened  to  the  addresses  of 
Mrs.  E.  R.  Drollinger,  of  Los  Angeles,  who  had  made  a 
life  study  of  the  seven  zones,  in  her  book  "Journeys  of 
the  soul"  she  described  the  first  zone,  and  life  in  this 
zone,  its  inhabitants  just  as  described  by  my  friend  Jon- 
es, in  his  three  days  trip  above  described.  When  all  his 
friends  thought,  and  still  think  he  had  had  a  drunken 
frolic  all  to  himself  at  his  home,  that  was  the  action  of 
the  control  of  his  physical  body,  while  his  spiritual  body 
took  its  journey  to  the  lands  of  the  first  zone  so  graphic- 
ally described  by  Mrs.  Drollinger.  That  I  now  begin  to 
comprehend  by  the  statements  made  by  my  friend  Jones. 
Jones  stated  that  in  the  future  he  proposed  to  be  himself, 
and  under  no  circumstances  seek  or  allow  any  control  to 
seek  or  control  him.  Just  the  conclusions  I  came  to  after 
my  visit  in  Boston  in  71-2  when  I  saw  the  boys  control- 
ling the  doctor.  Now  I  begin  to  see  the  dangers  in  con- 
trols. If  of  a  high  character  as  the  controls  of  Mrs.  Rich- 
mond, and  Mrs.  Bulline,  Mrs.  Wilcox,  Drollinger,  Sayers, 
Miller,  and  many  others  in  Los  Angeles  and  elsewhere, 
then  it  is  all  right,  and  desirable,  but  there  are  dangers 
in  seeking  the  unknown  control,  in  inviting  such  control 
as  my  friend  Jones  found,  as  well  as  many  others  I  could 


44  Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 

name,  confirming  the  Bible  statements,  of  many  who  are 
controlled  by  evil  spirits.    Cast  them  out. 

Mrs.  Drollinger's  book  describing  the  different  zon- 
es, from  the  first  as  described  by  Jones,  inhabited  by  pe- 
ople of  earth  of  the  ages  past,  to  the  seventh  zone,  peopl- 
ed by  Christ  and  the  sages  of  all  ages  of  the  past  to  the 
present  time,  is  very  interesting  reading  indeed,  and 
worthy  of  careful  study. 


Trumpet  Lecture 

I  was  interested  in  my  investigations  in  a  trumpet 
lecture  in  Los  Angeles,  the  first  lecture  of  the  kind  I  at- 
tened.  I  found  the  audience  first  at  1.30  p.m.  in  a  front 
room  adjoining  the  hall,  listening  to  messages  from  dif- 
ferent members  present.  At  2.30  p.m.  an  adjournment 
was  made  to  the  speakers  room  at  the  end  of  the  hall, 
that  seated  several  hundred  people.  This  room  was  fit- 
ted up  with  a  speaker's  platform  about  8x12  feet,  with 
a  speaker's  bible  stand,  a  hanging  curtain,  cabinet  against 
the  wall  about  3x4  feet,  a  small  wooden  center  table, 
about  2!/2x3  feet,  with  a  tin  trumpet  about  four  feet 
long  lying  on  the  small  table  standing  next  to  the  cur- 
tain cabinet. 

When  all  were  seated  in  the  lecture  room  the  ser- 
vices were  opened  in  the  regular  Church  service  man- 
ner, by  song  and  prayer,  when  the  speaker  entered  the 
cabinet,  seated  in  the  common  high  back  chair,  when 
the  curtain  of  the  cabinet  closed,  immediately  the  trum- 
pet speaking  commenced.    The  voice  was  strong  and  dis- 


Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist  45 

tinct  in  every  tone  and  in  the  style  of  a  church  minister 
that  commanded  the  attention  of  the  audience,  on  the 
subject  of  the  continuity  of  life,  that  to  me  was  interest- 
ing. The  voice  occupied  about  thirty  minutes  time,  when 
it  was  announced  that  on  the  next  Sunday  the  subject 
would  be  discussed  further.  Then  followed  a  female  voice 
that  was  in  the  manner  and  style  of  the  female,  talking 
on  a  subject  of  interest  to  the  ladies.  When  finished  the 
speaker  returned  from  the  cabinet  to  the  Bible  stand  and 
closed  the  meeting  with  the  usual  church  doxology. 

The  next  Sunday  I  attended  arriving  late.  The 
audience  was  engaged  in  the  front  room.  I  passed  at 
once  into  the  lecture  room.  As  no  one  was  in  sight  I 
decided  to  investigate  for  myself.  I  found  the  platform 
simply  a  common  wood  raised  speaker's  platform,  the 
cabinet  curtain  suspended  from  the  wall  of  the  room, 
common  curtain  cloth,  the  small  center  table  a  cheap 
wooden  table,  the  trumpet  a  common  tin  affair.  I  blew 
through  it  and  found  it  a  simple  tin  trumpet  about  four 
feet  long.  I  then  changed  the  position  and  angle  of  the 
table,  and  laid  the  trumpet  with  the  small  end  further 
from  the  wall  and  further  from  the  cabinet  than  I  found 
it.  I  then  went  to  the  front  seats,  and  selected  a  seat 
where  I  could  see  the  table  and  trumpet  to  the  best  ad- 
vantage, examined  the  room  carefully,  then  went  to  the 
front  room.  When  the  services  were  ended  I  hastened 
to  the  speaker's  room  and  seated  myself  in  the  chair 
selected,  when  the  same  services  were  held  as  on  last 
Sunday,  the  speaking  through  the  trumpet  was  a  con- 
tinuation of  the  views  expressed  on  last  Sunday,  and 
very  interesting  to  me,  showing  deep  study  of  the  sub- 
ject.    This  lecture  lasted  about  forty  minutes  followed 


46  Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 

by  the  female  voice  of  about  fifteen  minutes,  when  the 
services  were  closed  as  stated,  on  last  Sunday. 

I  should  have  stated,  with  the  close  of  the  trumpet 
minister's  talk,  the  masculine  measured  voice,  asked  if 
any  one  desired  to  ask  questions,  they  would  be  answer- 
ed. There  was  quite  a  number  of  questions  asked,  that 
was  suggested  by  the  statements  made.  I  asked  some 
questions  myself.  In  every  case  the  answers  were  to 
the  point  and  directly  answered. 

The  question  that  has  agitated  my  mind,  who — and 
by  what  power  was  that  lecture  delivered  through  that 
trumpet? 

I  could  not  see  the  least  movement  of  the  table  or 
trumpet  during  the  time  the  lecture  was  being  deliver- 
ed. The  voice  came  from  the  trumpet.  We  know  the 
voice  when  passing  through  a  trumpet  gives  forth  a  dif- 
ferent sound  from  that  when  delivered  direct  from  the 
lips.     WHO  DELIVERED  THAT  LECTURE? 


Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist  47 


Materialized  Forms 

I  attended  an  evening  materializing  meeting  in  this 
hall,  that  evening.  When  the  audience  was  seated,  the 
light  that  lighted  the  hall  came  from  an  electric  bulb 
burning  at  the  rear  of  the  hall,  that  threw  a  reflected 
light  on  the  speakers  platform  sufficient  to  read  print. 

The  speaker  entered  the  cabinet  above  described, 
soon  figures  appeared  walking  around  on  the  platform, 
addressing  and  conversing  with  different  persons  in  the 
audience. 

At  one  time  the  speaker  left  the  cabinet  and  took  a 
seat  on  a  chair  on  the  platform,  the  two  figures  appear- 
ed, one  following  the  other,  the  two  figures  walking 
around  on  the  platform,  pointing  out  parties  in  the  aud- 
ience, and  engaging  in  conversation  with  them,  listened 
to  by  all,  the  speaker  did  not  leave  his  seat  while  these 
conversations  were  being  carried  on,  the  three  figures 
being  clearly  seen  at  the  same  time  on  the  platform. 

It  would  be  hard  to  make  the  parties  addressed  in 
the  audience  believe  they  had  not  talked  to  their  relativ- 
es or  friends  as  the  case  may  be. 

I  recall  on  another  occasion  in  Chicago,  the  pleas- 
ant smile  on  a  mother's  face,  when  seated  in  a  chair  on 
the  platform,  when  a  figure  came  and  stood  by  her  side, 
when  quite  an  animated  conversation  ensued,  listened  to 
by  all  present,  that  satisfied  the  mother  she  had  talked 
to  her  son.  It  would  be  a  waste  of  time  to  try  to  con- 
vince that  mother  that  she  had  not  met  her  boy. 


48  Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 


Reading  Blindfolded 

On  the  announcement  from  the  platform  that  any  one 
in  the  audience  could  do  the  blindfolding  act,  as  an  in- 
vestigator I  volunteered  to  do  the  blindfolding.  On  the 
platform,  standing  by  the  side  of  the  speaker,  I  placed 
two  pieces  of  black  cloth  about  three  inches  square  over 
the  eyes,  then  with  a  piece  of  cloth  folded  several  folds 
thick,  and  about  six  inches  wide,  I  covered  the  face, 
leaving  only  sufficient  space  for  breathing.  It  was  im- 
possible to  see  anything  with  the  eyes  thus  bandaged.  I 
tied  the  cloth  tight  and  securely  at  the  back  of  the  head. 

I  had  written  a  question  I  wanted  information  on, 
on  a  blank  sheet  of  paper  enclosed  the  same  in  an  en- 
velope and  sealed  the  same.  After  tying  on  the  blind- 
fold I  dropped  the  envelope  on  the  table  with  the  other 
envelope.  It  was  mixed  up  freely  by  the  reader  before 
picking  up  a  single  envelope.  When  in  the  reading  my 
envelope  was  picked  up  and  held  between  the  hands,  a 
few  moments,  with  no  attempt  to  open  the  envelope, 
the  question  asked  was  read,  with  its  signature, 
of  four  figures,  like  4567,  no  name.  The  answer  was 
to  the  point,  answering  my  question.  No  one  knew  who 
4567  was.  The  envelope  was  then  dropped  on  the  floor 
with  the  other  questions  read.  When  other  questions 
followed  with  answers.  The  questions  were  generally 
signed  by  figures,  or  some  fictitious  name,  the  true  nam- 
es were  never  mentioned. 


Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist  49 


Reading  from  Flowers 

I  witnessed  an  exciting  episode  at  a  meeting  in  Los. 
Angeles,  in  the  reading  of  Flowers  placed  on  a  table 
standing  on  the  speakers  platform,  by  members  of  the 
audience,  who  desired  readings.  The  flowers  to  be  gath- 
ered by  the  party  placing  the  flowers  on  the  table.  If 
flowers  were  not  deposited,  a  finger  ring,  a  watch  or 
other  article  of  a  personal  nature  would  answer  the  pur- 
pose. As  many  as  forty  to  fifty  readings  would  be  given 
at  a  meeting. 

At  this  meeting  the  reader  had  read  four  or  five 
boquets  of  flowers,  when  picking  up  a  beautiful  boquet 
of  roses,  she  began  to  flourish  them  over  her  head,  ask- 
ing whose  flowers  are  these?  Which  question  was  an- 
swered by  an  elderly  lady  sitting  the  fourth  seat  in  the 
rear  of  my  seat.  By  her  side  sat  an  elderly  gentleman. 
On  the  other  side  sat  a  young  man,  and  at  the  next  sat 
a  young  lady  and  next  on  the  aisle,  or  passage  way,  that 
proved  to  be  husband  and  wife,  their  daughter  and  her 
husband. 

When  the  reader  received  the  answer  to  the  question, 
whose  flowers  are  these,  she  began  to  stagger  across  the 
platform,  speaking  in  a  loud  voice,  "OH  MAMMA! 
MAMMA!  MAMMA!  HOW  SORRY  I  KILLED  MY- 
SELF," and  was  caught  from  falling  on  the  platform 
by  the  parties  seated  there.  At  this  the  young  woman 
from  her  seat  gave  a  piercing  shriek,  and  fell  over  in 
the  aisle  in  a  deep  swoon..  There  was  great  excitement 
in  the  audience.     Every  one  to   their   feet.      Soon   the 


50  Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 

pianist  began  to  play  and  the  choir  to  sing  a  familiar 
hymn,  that  somewhat  allayed  the  excitement,  while  the 
young  lady  was  carried  back  into  the  cloak  room,  where 
she  recovered. 

It  was  learned  that  the  spirit  daughter  had  commit- 
ted suicide.  The  parents  and  her  sister  had  visited  this 
meeting,  the  mother  had  deposited  this  beautiful  boquet 
of  roses  on  the  table  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  what 
would  happen.  Something  happened,  and  when  the 
audience  became  quieted  down,  the  people  were  dismis- 
sed to  their  homes. 


Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist  51 


The  Tropics  of  Mexico 

Arriving  at  this  meeting  in  Los  Angeles  a  little  late, 
the  message  medium  had  just  finished  giving  a  reading, 
then  coming  to  my  seat,  said;  I  see  you  were  accomp- 
anied into  this  hall  by  a  gentleman,  who  shows  me  a 
Tropical  Country,  riding  through  the  dense  tropical 
jungle  on  a  narrow  trail,  was  shot  and  instantly  killed 
by  some  one  who  had  waylaid  him.  He  fell  dead  from 
his  horse.  He  shows  me  he  is  here  to  see  his  family 
who  live  here,  his  surviving  wife  and  two  daughters  and 
asks  your  good  thoughts,  and  assistance. 

I  was  very  much  surprised  at  this,  as  I  recognized 
the  killing  of  a  gentleman  whom  I  knew  in  the  State  of 
Oaxaca,  Republic  of  Mexico.,  who  was  the  manager  of 
a  large  tract  of  land  near  the  Rail  Road,  belonging  to 
American  People,  who  became  involved  in  an  alterca- 
tion with  one  of  his  Mexican  employees,  who  no  doubt 
waylaid  him  and  shot  him  from  his  horse,  killing  him 
instantly,  when  on  his  way  to  the  R.  R.  Station.  I  did 
not  know  where  his  wife  and;  two  daughters  lived.  On 
inquiry  I  learned  that  they  lived  in  Los  Angeles,  as  stat- 
ed by  the  speaker,  and  that  she  had  re-married.  This 
episode  impressed  my  mind,  as  I  had  not  thought  of  this 
affair  since  leaving  Mexico,  having  no  interest  in  the 
matter. 


52  Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 

The  Atlanta  Campaign 

A  comrade  gave  me  his  experience  on  the  Atlanta 
Campaign,  that  was  duplicated  by  many  other  experi- 
ences of  comrades.  He  said: — The  morning  of  the  bat- 
tle of  New  Hope  Church,  one  of  the  battles  fought  in 
this  Campaign,  in  the  turning  movements  of  General 
Sherman,  my  bunk  mate  gave  me  his  watch  and  person- 
al keep-sakes,  saying  that  he  would  be  killed  that  day. 
I  tried  to  talk  him  out  of  the  feeling,  but  to  no  avail. 
On  arriving  at  the  New  Hope  Church,  my  Regiment 
went  into  line  exjecting  the  enemy,  when  my  comrade 
looking  around,  said :  "This  is  the  place  where  I  will  be 
killed."  A  few  minutes  after  this  a  volley  fired  by  the 
enemy  my  comrade  fell  the  first  man  killed  in  my  Regi- 
ment on  that  day. 

Electricity 

Because  of  the  study  of  natural  law,  electricity  is 
now  being  harnessed  to  supply  the  power  to  drive  the 
Rail  Road  trains,  all  kinds  of  machinery,  heat,  light  and 
many  other  uses,  while  the  scientists  and  inventors  tell 
us  the  age  of  electricity  has  just  began,  that  the  people 
of  the  future  will  look  back  on  this  age  and  time  as  be- 
ing in  the  crude  state,  just  as  we  look  upon  the  people 
of  Bible  times,  who  never  dreamed  of  the  Aeroplane, 
Electricity,  Telephone,  Wireless  messages  by  voice  and 
by  electricity. 

Certainly  such  achievements  of  today,  under  known 
natural  laws,  would  in  Bible  times  be  classed  as  mi- 
raculous or  supernatural.  We  now  know  there  is  noth- 
ing super-natural.  All  phenomena  is  by  Natural  Law. 
It  is  for  us  to  study  and  know  the  cause. 


Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist  53 


The  Telephone 

An  interesting  episode  occurred  in  Los  Angeles, 
Calif.  The  speaker  on  the  platform  holding  what  ap- 
peared to  be  an  ordinary  telephone  receiver  in  his  hands, 
with  no  wire  connections.  There  was  simply  the  stand 
holding  the  ear  listener-receiver,  and  he  announced  that 
if  any  one  in  the  audience  desired  to  call  up  any  of  his 
spirit  friends  and  talk  to  them,  he  could  do  so. 

At  this  I  asked  for  the  receiver  to  make  the  test,  as 
I  was  sitting  several  seats  from  the  aisle.  The  speaker 
came  and  handed  me  the  receiver  and  returned  to  the 
platform.  I  kept  my  seat,  holding  the  receiver  in  my 
left  hand,  and  ear  receiver  in  my  right.  I  called  into 
the  phone,  Hello,  Hello,  just  as  I  would  in  any  phone 
station,  which  was  answered  just  as  I  would  be  in  a 
phone  booth  calling  "Central'"  in  the  City  office.  I  was 
asked  who  was  wanted,  who  I  wanted  to  talk  to.  I  ans- 
wered, naming  a  friend  who  had  passed  to  the  Beyond, 
when  an  animated  conversation  took  place,  all  my  ques- 
tions were  answered  promptly  and  to  the  point,  just  as 
if  conducted  with  a  neighbor  through  the  City  Central 
station. 

One  thing  certain  I  conducted  this  conversation  sit- 
ting in  my  seat  in  the  audience,  none  but  strangers 
around  me,  I  held  the  transmitter  and  receiver  in  my 
own  hands,  with  no  wire  connections  with  the  outside, 
talking  as  if  talking  in  a  telephone  exchange  by  a  nat- 
ural law,  that  I  do  not  understand. 


54  Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 


The  Different  Bibles 

Probably  not  over  20%  of  the  people  of  this  earth 
ever  heard  of  or  read  the  Hebrew,  Christian  and  other 
Bibles,  (Protestant)  the  latest  the  Book  of  Mormon. 
Of  the  different  Bibles  the  most  conspicuous  are  these. 

1  "Vedas"  of  the  Brahmins; 

2  "Tripitaka"  of  the  Buddhists; 

3  Averst,   (or  Zenda-Avesta)   of  the  Persians; 

4  'The  Five  Kings"  of  Chinese  Sacred  Books  of 
Confucius. 

5  The  Toto-tes  King  or  Sacred  Book  of  Toto-tee. 

6  The  Mohammedan  Koran. 

All  these  Bibles  teach  practically  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments, Love  thy  Neighbor  as  thyself,  Love  one 
another.  Do  unto  others  as  you  would  they  should  do 
unto  you.  Healing  the  sick  and  afflicted,  Charity,  Jus- 
tice, Mercy,  Veracity,  Right  living,  Virtuous  sweet 
thoughts.  Suffer  little  children  to  come  unto  me.  God 
is  Love.  Thus  promoting  present  and  future  happi- 
ness— the  same  teachings  that  are  found  in  the  Chris- 
tian Bibles  of  today. 

Of  the  Bibles  of  the  Christian  people,  the  Jews  ac- 
cept the  Old  Testament,  (with  40  books) ,  but  do  not  ac- 
cept the  New  Testament.  As  expressed  by  one  of  the 
leading  Rabbis  in  Los  Angeles,  " Christ  was  a  very  good 
man  with  the  accent  on  the  good."  The  Catholic 
Churches  accept  75  books,  while  the  Protestant  Church- 
es accept  60  books  as  the  Bible,  while  the  Mormon 
Church  accepts  the  60  books  of  the  Protestant  Bible 
they  add  the  New  Book  of  Mormon. 

It  is  far  from  my  deire  to  attack  or  criticise  the 


Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist  55 

Bible,  but  to  treasure  its  beautiful  thoughts,  and  learn 
of  the  many  facts  and  happenings  of  the  ages  before 
Christ,  in  comparison  with  the  present. 

Many  church  people  claim  the  spiritual  manifesta- 
tions and  happenings  recorded  in  the  Bible  were  super- 
natural in  character  and  terminated  with  the  time  of 
Christ,  that  the  manifestations  of  the  like  character  of 
today  are  of  the  DEVIL  and  clearly  condemned  in  the 
Bible. 

A  study  of  the  manifestions  recorded  in  the  Bible 
show  over  120  happenings,  such  as  Materializations, 
Spirit  writings,  Independent  Spirit  Writings,  Trumpet 
Speaking,  Trance,  Healing,  Gifts  of  Healing,  Healing 
by  Magnetised  Articles,  Independent  Spirit  Voices,  Spi- 
rit Communications  in  Dreams,  Spirit  Tests,  Spirit 
Levitation.  While  the  expression  is  often  made:  Thus 
sayeth  the  Lord,  The  Lord  commanded,  the  Angel  of 
the  Lord  appeared,  The  Angel  of  the  Lord  commanded, 
Abraham  and  Moses  met  the  Lord  face  to  face,  the  Lord 
handed  down  to  Moses  his  covenant  written  on  stones, 
the  Angel  stretched  forth  his  hand  upon  Jerusalem  to 
destroy  it,  the  Lord  repented  and  stayed  the  hand  of  the 
Angel.  While  several  passages  declare  the  Lord  order- 
ed the  people  to  be  deceived,  and  destroyed,  killing  all 
the  men,  women  and  children,  the  maidens  be  taken  for 
wives.  That  women  shall  be  the  servants  of  man. 
There  are  so  many  of  such  statements,  that  it  is  un- 
pleasant to  quote  further. 

It  is  pleasant  to  refer  to  the  statements  by  both 
Timothy  and  John,  in  the  New  Testament,  saying,  "No 
man  hath  seen  or  can  see  God."  "No  man  hath  seen  God 
at  any  time."  "Ye  have  never  heard  his  voice  at  any  time, 
or  seen  his  shape."  "God  is  a  spirit,"  besides  many  oth- 
er similar  statements. 


56  Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 


What  the  Bible  Teaches 

Without  going  into  extended  details,  giving  chapter 
and  verse,  any  Bible  reader  can  easily  find  and  veri- 
fy the  statements  made,  besides  finding  many  addition- 
al instances  of  Spirit  Manifestations  and  power  not  not- 
ed. Reference  is  made  to  the  Materialization  of  three 
men  who  stood  by  Abraham,  to  whom  he  gave  food,  who 
told  him  that  Sarah  should  bring  forth  a  child.  Jacob 
wrestled  with  a  man  all  night  and  broke  his  thigh. 
Adam  heard  the  Lord  God  walking  in  the  garden.  And 
they  saw  the  God  of  Israel  and  did  eat  and  drink.  When 
I  looked  a  hand  was  sent  unto  me,  a  roll  of  a  book  was 
therein.  The  same  hour  came  forth  a  man's  hand  and 
wrote  on  the  wall  of  the  palace.  While  they  were  talk- 
ing Jesus  drew  near  and  went  with  them.  When  the 
doors  were  shut,  Jesus  stood  in  the  midst  of  the  Apos- 
tles. 

Spirit  Writing 

And  there  came  a  writing  from  Elijah  the  prophet, 
to  Jehoram,  that  he  was  not  walking  right.  The  Lord 
said  unto  Moses  come  up  to  me  unto  the  mount — and  re- 
ceive the  commandments  I  have  written.  On  the  third 
day  the  Voice  of  the  Trumpet  sounded  exceedingly  loud. 
And  Lord  gave  Moses  two  tables  of  testimony,  written 
with  the  finger  of  God.  These  words  the  Lord  spake 
unto  your  assembly.  Delivered  unto  me  two  tables  of 
stone,  the  Covenant. 


Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist  57 


Trumpet   Speaking 

The  Lord  told  Moses  to  come  up  into  the  Mount  and 
get  the  tablets  of  stone.  The  Lord  gave  Moses  the  tab- 
lets of  stone  written  with  his  finger.  The  Lord  told 
Moses  to  hew  new  stones  in  place  of  the  broken  ones. 
The  Lord  delivered  to  Moses  the  two  tables  of  stone. 

Trance 

A  deep  sleep  fell  on  Abram.  I  was  in  a  trance  when 
I  prayed  in  the  Temple.  Saul  as  he  journeyed,  and  sud- 
denly there  shined  around  about  him  a  light  from  Hea- 
ven. And  it  was  known  through  all  Joppa;  and  many 
believed  in  the  Lord.  While  he  was  speaking  with  me 
a  deep  sleep  fell  on  my  face. 

Healing 

The  Lord  said  to  Moses;  Make  a  fiery  serpent,  and 
set  it  on  a  pole,  every  one  who  looks  at  it  shall  live.  When 
he  beheld  the  serpent  he  lived.  Elisha  lay  his  hands  up- 
on the  child,  and  the  Lord  heard  the  voice  of  Elijah, 
and  the  soul  of  the  child  came  unto  it  again.  Jesus 
healed  the  sick.  Jesus  healed  the  sick  with  dropsy  and 
all  other  diseases.  Jesus  healed  the  man  of  the  palsy, 
and  all  the  sick.  Asked  Jesus  to  come  and  heal  his  son. 
Go  thy  son  liveth. 

Gifts  of  Healing 

Gifts  of  healing  by  the  spirit.  Disciples  charged  to 
heal  the  sick  and  afflicted.  Cleanse  the  Lepers.  Raise 
the  dead.    Cast  out  Devils.    Apostles  sent  to  preach  and 


58  Lincoln  was  a  Spiritualist 

heal  the  sick.  Paul  said  stand  up  and  walk.  Peter  and 
John  went  in  to  the  Temple,  and  healed  the  crippled  and 
sick. 

Healing  by  Magnetised  Articles 

Healing  by  laying  staff  on  the  child.  Healing  by 
apron.  Healing  by  laying  on  handkerchiefs  .  Cast  out 
the  evil  spirits. 

Independent  Spirit  Voices 

The  Lord  said  to  Moses,  get  thou  down  quickly,  be- 
hold it  is  a  stiffnecked  people.  Fell  on  my  face  and 
heard  voices  speak.  The  Lord  spoke  to  Saul.  The  Lord 
spoke  out  of  a  cloud,  my  beloved  son.  A  voice  came 
from  Heaven.  The  voice  came.  The  angels  spoke.  A 
voice  saying  unto  him,  Saul  why  persecutest  thou  me? 
The  men  stood  speechless,  hearing  a  voice,  but  seeing 
no  man.  And  the  Angel  of  the  Lord  in  a  flame  of  fire 
in  a  bush.  The  voice  of  the  Lord  came  unto  him.  I  heard 
a  voice  saying  arise  Peter  slay  and  eat. 

Spirit  Communications  in  Dreams 

Dreamed  of  a  ladder  ascending  to  heaven.  God 
came  in  a  dream  to  Laban.  Joseph  dreamed  a  dream 
and  told  it  to  the  brethren.  Pharaoh's  dream.  In  a 
dream,  a  vision,  the  Lord  spoke.  Spirits  prophesy.  Dreams 
and  visions. 

Spirit  Levitation 

The  spirit  of  the  Lord  shall  carry  thee  whither,  I 
know  not.  Carry  Elijah  to  heaven.  Spirit  break  down 
the  walls.  Take  me  by  the  hair  and  lift  me  to  heaven, 
in  a  vision.  And  they  came  up  out  of  the  water.  The 
spirit  of  the  Lord  caught  up  Phillip. 


Thanatopsis  59 


Thanatopsis 

To  him  who  in  the  love  of  Nature  holds 

Communion  with  her  visible  forms,  she  speaks 

A  various  language ;  for  his  gayer  hours 

She  has  a  voice  of  gladness,  and  a  smile 

And  eloquence  of  beauty,  and  she  glides 

Into  his  darker  musings,  with  a  mild 

And  healing  sympathy  that  steals  away 

Their  sharpness,  ere  he  is  aware.     When  thoughts 

Of  the  last  bitter  hour  come  like  a  blight 

Over  thy  spirit  and  sad  image. 

Of  the  stern  agony,  and  shroud  and  pall, 

Make  thee  to  shudder,  and  grow  sick  at  heart ; 

Go  forth  under  the  open  sky,  and  list 

To  Nature's  teachings,  while  from  all  around 

Earth  and  her  waters,  and  the  depths  of  air — 

Comes  a  still  voice — Yet  a  few  days,  and  thee 

The  all-beholding  sun  shall  see  no  more 

In  all  his  course ;  nor  yet  in  the  cold  ground, 

Where  thy  pale  form  was  laid,  with  many  tears, 

Nor  in  th    embrace  of  ocean,  shall  exist 

Thy  image.     Earth,  that  nourished  thee,  shall  claim 

Thy  growth,  to  be  resolved  to  earth  again 

And,  lost  to  each  human  trace,  surrendering  up 

Thine  individual  being,  thou  shall  go 

To  mix  forever  with  the  elements. 

To  be  a  brother  to  the  visible  rock 

And  to  the  sluggish  clod,  which  the  rude  swain 

Turns  with  his  share,  and  treads  upon.    The  oak 

Shall  send  his  roots  abroad,  and  pierce  thy  mould. 


60  Thanatopsis 


Yet  not  to  thine  eternal  resting  place 
Shalt  thou  retire  alone,  nor  coulds't  thou  wish 
Couch  more  magnificent.    Thou  shalt  lie  down 
With  patriarchs  of  the  infant  world — with  kings 
The  powerful  of  the  earth — the  wise,  the  good, 
Fair  forms,  and  hoary  seers  of  ages  past, 
All  in  one  mighty  sepulchure.    The  hills 
Rock-robbed  andancient  or  the  sun,  the  vale, 
Stretching  in  pensive  greatness  between; 
The  venerable  woods — rivers  that  move 
In  majesty  and  the  complaining  brooks 
That  makes  the  meadows  green ;  and  poured  round  all, 
Old  Ocean's  grey  and  melancholy  waste — 
Are  but  the  solemn  decorations  all 
Of  the  great  tomb  of  man.    The  golden  sun, 
The  planets,  all  the  infiinite  host  of  heaven, 
Are  shining  on  the  sad  abodes  of  death, 
Through  the  still  lapse  of  ages.    All  that  tread 
The  globe  are  but  a  handful  of  the  tribes 
That  slumber  in  its  bosom.    Take  the  wings 
Of  morning,  pierce  the  barren  wilderness, 
Or  lose  thyself  in  the  continuous  woods 
Where  rolls  the  Oregon,  and  hears  no  sound, 
Save  his  own  dashings — Yet  the  dead  are  there; 
And  millions  in  those  solitudes  where  first 
The  flight  of  years  began,  have  laid  them  down 
In  their  last  sleep.     The  dead  reign  there  alone. 


Thanatopsis  61 


So  shalt  thou  rest,  and  what  if  thou  withdraw- 
In  silence  from  the  living,  and  no  friend 
Take  note  of  thy  departure?     All  that  breathe 
Will  share  thy  destiny.     The  gay  will  laugh 
When  thou  art  gone,  the  solemn  brook  of  care 
Plod  on,  and  each  as  before  will  chase 
This  favorite  phantom;  yet  all  these  shall  leave 
Their  mirth  and  their  employments,  and  shall  come 
And  make  their  bed  with  thee.    As  the  long  train 
Of  ages  glide  away,  the  sons  of  men, 
The  youth  in  life's  green  spring,  and  he  who  goes 
In  the  full  strength  of  years,  matron  and  maid, 
The  speechless  babe,  and  the  gray-headed  man 
Shall  one  by  one  be  gathered  to  thy  side, 
By  those,  who  in  their  turn  shall  follow  them. 

So  live  that  when  thy  summonons  comes  to  join 
The  innumerable  caravan,  which  moves 
To  that  mysterious  realm,  where  each  shall  take 
His  chamber  in  the  silent  halls  of  death, 
Thou  go  not,  like  the  quarry-slave  at  night, 
Scourged  to  his  dungeon,  but,  sustained  and  soothed 
By  an  unfaltering  trust,  approach  thy  grave 
Like  one  who  wraps  the  drapery  of  his  couch 
About  him,  and  lies  down  to  pleasant  dreams. 

W.  C.  Bryant. 


The  Religion  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

By  Rev.  B.  F.  Austin,  A.M.,  D.D. 

As  the  figure  of  the  great  Emancipator  gradu ally- 
fades  from  our  vision  into  the  receding  past,  every  new 
fact  or  incident  in  his  career  throwing  light  upon  his 
character  will  be  of  increasing  value  to  the  world. 

Especially  is  this  true  of  facts  and  incidents  in  his 
life  disclosing  the  thoughts  of  his  mind,  the  motive  which 
actuated  him,  the  emotions  that  swayed  him,  and  the 
source  of  that  strength,  courage  and  fidelity  which  form- 
ed the  basis  of  his  character.  His  religous  ideas  and 
conruct  is,  therefore,  a  subject  of  supreme  interest,  es- 
pecially to  the  American  people. 

Reticent  on  Religion. 

Like  many  other  great  men  who  think  and  feel 
much  on  the  subject  of  religion,  Abraham  Lincoln  talked 
but  little  about  it.  His  Creed  and  his  religion,  must, 
therefore,  be  mainly  gathered  from  the  few  authentic 
statements  from  his  lips  to  personal  friends  and  from 
his  life.  We  do  not  place  much  value  on  the  references 
to  religious  subjects  in  his  state  documents  or  speeches 
— as  many  of  these  were  doubtless  framed  to  accord 
with  popular  conceptions  of  religion  rather  than  to  ex- 
press his  own  views.  The  reference  to  the  Supreme  Be- 
ing in  the  Emancipation  Proclamation,  for  example,  be- 
ing the  suggestion  and  the  composition  of  Salmon  P. 
Chase,  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  Mr.  Lincoln  hav- 


64  The  Religion  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

ing  drafted  the  document  without  any  express  reference 
to  Deity. 

Sceptical  in  Youth. 

Abraham  Lincoln  grew  up  in  a  community  in  which 
free  thought  was  generally  prevalent  and  was  credited 
with  decidedly  skeptical  views  in  his  early  manhood.  He 
never  identified  himself  with  any  religious  organization. 
Unless  he  radically  changed  the  views  of  his  boyhood 
days  he  did  not  believe  many  of  the  commonly  accepted 
features  of  church  teachings  to-day. 

It  may  be  questioned  by  some  whether  in  view  of 
these  facts  the  martyred  president  had  a  religion  and  if 
he  did,  what  were  its  main  features.  The  purpose  of 
this  paper  is  to  show  by  authentic  statements  of  his  own 
and  others  and  by  his  conduct  that  Lincoln  had  a  clearly 
defined  set  of  religious  ideas  and  principles  and  that  he 
acted  upon  them  in  the  great  issues  of  his  life  and  ad- 
ministration. 

Facts  Never  Published  Before 

In  developing  this  theme  we  shall  use  statements 
and  incidents  recorded  in  nearly  all  the  many  biogra- 
phies of  Lincoln,  also  some  new  facts  never  published 
before,  and  some  other  facts  that,  though  they  have  been 
published,  are  not  generally  known. 

That  Mr.  Lincoln  while  not  a  church  member,  was 
not  in  any  degree  opposed  to  churches  or  church  work, 
but  in  deepest  sympathy  with  the  spirit  and  simple 
teachings  of  the  Nazarene  Prophet,  we  know  from  his 
recorded  statement  to  Hon.  H.  C.  Deming : — 


The  Religion  of  Abraham  Lincoln  65 

"On  an  occasion  I  shall  never  forget,  the  conversa- 
tion turned  upon  religious  subjects  and  Mr.  Lincoln 
Lincoln  made  this  impressive  remark:  "I  have  never 
united  myself  to  any  church,  because  I  have  found  diffi- 
culty in  giving  my  assent  without  mental  reservation  to 
long,  complicated  statements  of  Christian  Doctrine 
which  characterizes  their  articles  of  belief  and  confes- 
sions of  faith.  When  any  church  will  inscribe  over  its 
altar,  as  its  sole  qualification  for  membership  the  Sa- 
viour's condensed  statement  of  the  substance  of  both 
law  and  gospel,  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with 
all  thy  heart  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind, 
and  thy  neighbor  as  thy  self/  that  Church  will  I  join  with 
all  my  heart  and  soul/  " 

Views  of  Personal  Friends. 

Among  the  many  writers  of  his  biographies  or  re- 
miniscences of  personal  experiences  with  Lincoln,  Hugh 
McCullough,  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  has  expressed, 
in  our  view,  most  clearly  and  truly  the  facts  regarding 
Lincoln's  religious  character.  This  is  his  statement: — 
"He  was  a  man  of  strong  religious  convictions,  but  he 
cared  nothing  for  the  dogmas  of  the  Churches,  and  had 
little  respect  for  their  creeds." 

Walt  Whitman  was  inclined  to  think  that  the  foun- 
dation of  Lincoln's  character  was  largely  found  in  his 
religious  nature.  He  wrote:  "I  should  say  the  invisible 
foundations  and  vertebra  of  his  character  were  mystical, 
abstract,  moral  and  spiritual.  As  to  his  religious  na- 
ture, it  seems  to  me  to  have  certainly  been  of  the  amplest 
deepest-rooted  kind." 

John  B.  Alley,  a  member  of  Congress  from  '60  to  '64 
and  an  intimate  friend  of  Lincoln,  declared:  "In  his  re- 


66  The  Religion  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

ligious  views  Mr.  Lincoln  was  very  nearly  what  we 
would  call  a  free  thinker  ...  He  had  little  faith 
in  the  popular  religions  of  the  times.  He  said  to  me  one 
day,  that  he  felt  assured  that  the  great  Author  of  our 
being,  whether  called  God  or  Nature,  it  mattered  little 
which,  would  deal  very  mercifully  with  poor,  and  er- 
ring humanity  in  the  other,  and  he  hoped  better,  world. 
No  man  was  more  tolerant  of  the  opinions  and  feelings 
of  others  in  the  directions  of  religious  sentiment,  or  had 
less  faith  in  religious  dogmas." 

Three  Articles  in  His  Creed. 

Abraham  Lincoln  may  be  said  to  have  had  three 
very  definite  and  strongly  marked  articles  in  his  faith 
for  though  he  never  professed  belief  in  any  particular 
creed,  he  had  one,  since  every  man,  if  he  does  not  ac- 
cept one  of  the  formulated  creeds,  manufactures  one  for 
himself. 

First,  he  believed  in  a  Supreme  Being.  There  does 
not  appear  to  be  anything  recorded  in  his  speeches  or 
any  authentic  reports  of  statements  that  fell  from  his 
lips  to  show  just  what  Lincoln's  conception  of  the  Deity 
was.  If  we  are  to  accept  Mr.  Alley's  statement,  Mr. 
Lincoln  thought  it  mattered  little  whether  we  spoke  of 
God  or  Nature.  He  seems  to  have  failed  to  make  any 
clear  distinction  between  them.  We  find  in  his  writings 
and  speeches  no  recognition  of  the  personality  of  the 
Godhead,  but  rather  a  general  conception  of  a  great 
Power  or  Principle  underlying  all  phenomena.  Prob- 
ably Lincoln  would  have  subscribed  to  Pope's  statement ; 
"All  are  but  parts  of  one  stupendous  whole,  Whose  body 
Nature  is,  and  God  the  Soul." 


The  Religion  of  Abraham  Lincoln  67 

Second,  he  believed  in  a  future  life  in  which  man's 
condition  was,  measurably  at  least,  determined  by  his 
conduct  here.  He  recognized  human  responsibility  and 
was  deeply  impressed  with  the  sense  of  duty.  Whatever 
doubts  he  may  have  had  as  to  the  Bible  and  Christian 
dogmas,  we  never  find  in  his  speeches  or  conversations 
the  faintest  hint  or  shadow  of  doubt  of  man's  continued 
life  after  death. 

Third,  He  believed  in  the  open  door  between  the  two 
worlds — the  mortal  and  the  Spirit  realms — that  is  to 
say,  in  the  possibility  of  mortals  communicating  with  the 
spirits  of  departed  men  and  women. 

Proof  of  His  Spiritualism. 

As  this  statement  has  been  made  by  some  writers 
and  disputed  by  others,  we  shall  offer  some  proofs  of 
Mr.  Lincoln's  belief  in  spirit  return  and  intercourse  with 
mortals. 

We  first  call  attention  to  the  statement  of  the  late 
Col.  S.  P.  Kase  in  a  pamphlet  entitled,  "The  Emancipa- 
tion Proclamation,  How  and  by  Whom  it  was  given  to 
Abraham  Lincoln,"  written  and  published  by  himself 
about  1900. 

Testimony  of  Simon  P.  Kase. 

Simon  P.  Kase,  one  of  the  most  remarkable  men  of 
his  day,  was  born  in  Rush  township,  Pa.  in  1814.  He 
became  a  successful  manufacturer  in  Danville,  Pa.  and 
afterwarda  dealer  in  railroad  iron  in  New  York,  then  a 
railroad  builder  in  Michigan.  In  1861  on  solicitation 
of  his  nephew,  Wm.  G.  Kase,  then  President  of  the  Read- 
ing and  Columbia  R.  R.  Co.,  and  of  its  Board  of  Direc- 


68  The  Religion  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

tors,  Col.  Kase  took  charge  of  the  construction  of  their 
road,  all  previous  efforts  having  failed,  He  went  to 
Washington  and  presented  the  matter  to  the  Congres- 
sional Committee  on  Roads  and  Canals  together  with  a 
bill  appropriating  $450,000  in  United  States  bonds  for 
an  equal  amount  of  bonds  of  the  Columbia  and  Reading 
R.R.  Other  railroad  lines  opposed  the  grant  and  for 
four  weeks  the  contest  waged,  ending  in  victory  for  Mr. 
Kase  and  his  road.  While  in  Washington  in  1861  on 
this  business,  Mr.  Kase  tells  us  how  he  was  led  to  call 
on  J.  B.  Conkling,  a  medium  whom  he  had  known  in 
New  York  three  years  before;  how  Mr.  Conkling  urged 
him  to  take  a  letter  to  President  Lincoln,  and  how  though 
he,  (Col.  Kase)  was  not  then  acquainted  with  Lincoln  he 
consented  to  do  so,  as  Mr.  Conkling  assured  him  he 
(Kase)  could  see  the  President  while  Mr.  Conkling  could 
not.  He  tells  us  how  he  and  Mr.  Conkling  went  to  the 
White  House  and,  through  mistake  of  the  servant  in 
confounding  the  names  Kase  and  Chase  (Salmon  P. 
Chase,  Secretary  of  the  Treasury)  he  was  granted  an 
interview.  Mr.  Kase  recites  the  President's  disappoint- 
ment in  finding  it  was  a  stranger  and  not  the  Secretary 
who  had  called  to  see  him,  but  in  learning  that  Mr.  Kase 
was  from  Danville,  Pa.,  Mr.  Lincoln  began  talking  about 
Pennsylvania  matters.  He  goes  on  to  tell  how,  at  last, 
he  presented  Mr.  Conkling' s  letter  asking  for  an  inter- 
view with  the  President  and  how  Mr.  Lincoln,  after 
glancing  over  the  letter,  then  read  it  aloud  to  Mr.  Kase. 
It  was  as  follows:  "I  have  been  sent  from  the  city  of 
New  York  by  Spiritual  influences  pertaining  to  the  in- 
terest of  the  nation.  I  can't  return  until  I  see  you.  Ap- 
point the  time." 

J.  B.  Conkling." 


The  Religion  of  Abraham  Lincoln  69 

Mr.  Lincoln  asked  some  questions  as  to  its  meaning  and 
then  turning  to  Mr.  Kase  he  detailed  to  the  President 
experiences  that  had  led  him  to  a  belief  in  spirit  com- 
munication, and  the  President  manifested  great  interest 
therein  and  said:  "Tell  Mr.  Conkling  I  will  see  him  on 
Sunday  between  9  and  10  a.m." 


Lincoln  Solemnly  Admonished. 

Four  weeks  later  in  the  gallery  of  the  House  Mr. 
Kase  met  Mrs.  Laurie  of  Georgetown  and  was  invited  to 
call  at  her  home.  He  learned  through  Judge  Wattells 
that  she  had  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Miller,  a  medium,  and  that 
evening  he  and  the  Judge  attended  one  of  her  meetings. 
There  he  met  President  Lincoln  and  Mrs.  Lincoln.  The 
following  is  his  account  of  the  services:  "After  speak- 
ing and  passing  the  courtesies  of  the  day,  perhaps  ten 
minutes  intervening,  I  saw  a  young  girl  approaching  the 
President  with  a  measured  step,  with  her  eyes  closed, 
and  walking  up  to  the  knees  of  the  President,  accosted 
him  as  follows :  'Sir,  you  have  been  called  to  the  position 
you  now  occupy  for  a  very  great  purpose.  The  world  is 
in  universal  bondage ;  it  must  be  physically  set  free,  that 
it  may  mentally  rise  to  its  proper  status.  There  is  a 
Spiritual  Congress  supervising  the  affairs  of  this  nation 
as  well  as  a  Congress  at  Washington.  This  Republic  is 
leading  the  van  of  Republics  through  the  world!" 
This  being  her  text,  she  lectured  the  President  for  a  full 
hour  upon  the  importance  of  emancipating  the  slave, 
saying  that  the  war  could  not  end  until  slavery  was 
abolished :  That  God  destined  all  men  to  be  free  that  they 
may  rise  to  their  proper  status.  Her  language  was 
truly  sublime  and  full  of  arguments  grand  in  the  ex- 


70  The  Religion  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

treme,  assserting  that  from  the  time  his  proclamation  of 
freedom  was  issued,  there  would  be  no  reverses  to  our 
army. 

As  soon  as  this  young  girl,  (who  I  thought  could 
not  be  out  of  her  teens,  but  who  I  afterwards  understood 
was  the  celebrated  trance-medium,  Nettie  Colbourn  of 
New  York  State)  came  out  of  the  trance,  she  ran  off, 
frightened  to  think  that  she  had  been  talking  to  the  Pre- 
sident. 

Thus  it  was  that  President  Lincoln  was  convinced 
as  to  the  course  he  should  pursue :  the  command  coming 
from  that  All-seeing  Spirit  through  the  instrumentality 
of  the  angel  world,  was  not  to  be  overlooked.  He,  like 
a  faithful  servant,  then  convinced  of  his  duty,  feared  not 
to  do  it,  and  to  proclaim  freedom  by  the  Emancipation 
Proclamation  to  4,000,000  slaves.  That  Proclamation 
was  issued  on  September  22,  1862  to  take  effect  the  first 
day  of  January  1863.  In  the  intermediate  time  the 
back  bone  of  the  rebellion  was  broken,  the  Union  army 
had,  in  diverse  places,  twenty-six  battles  every  one  of 
them  except  two  being  a  success  upon  the  Union  side. 
Thus  the  prediction  of  the  medium  was  fulfilled." 

Francis  B.  Carpenter  and  Capt.  Keffer. 

Mr.  Francis  B.  Carpenter,  the  distinguisher  artist 
who  painted  the  Emancipation  Proclamation  and  who 
wrote,  "The  Inner  Life  of  Abraham  Lincoln/'  declares: 
"I  am  not  prepared  to  say  that  Mr.  Lincoln  was  a  Spirit- 
ualist. I  do  know  that  he  had  faith  in  spiritual  comfort 
and  believed  we  were,  in  a  measure  directed  by  spiritual 
teachers  and  guidance" 

It  is  a  fact  well  established  that  during  the  summer 
of  1861  the  President  attended,  several  times  a  week, 


The  Religion  of  Abraham  Lincoln  71 

the  seances  of  Mrs.  Stewart  in  Georgetown,  going  with  a 
few  gentlemen  friends  in  a  cab  to  a  point  near  her  resi- 
dence where  the  cab  was  dismissed,  and  he  with  his  com- 
panions and  a  few  friends  from  different  quarters  met 
by  appointment  for  these  services. 

This  we  have  on  the  unimpreachable,  sworn  testi- 
mony of  Capt.  Keffer  now  of  Philadelphia,  who  fre- 
quently met  the  President  that  summer  in  Col.  Baker's 
tent  which  was  then  located  about  half  way  between 
Washington  and  Bladensburg  where  the  Colonel's  Cali- 
fornia regiment  was  stationed.  Capt.  Keffer,  who  was 
known  by  President  Lincoln  to  be  a  Spiritualist,  was 
detailed  for  duty  and  had  charge  of  a  squad  of  soldiers 
of  the  Washington  guards  and  was  instructed  to  guard 
Mr.  Lincoln  two  or  three  times  a  week  on  his  evening 
visits  to  Georgetown.  The  Captain  tells  us  in  his  affi- 
davit how  he  learned  that  these  meetings  were  seances 
from  a  young  man  in  attendance.  These  services  were 
held  from  two  to  three  times  a  week  during  August  and 
September  in  1861. 


Mrs.  Maynard  and  Warren  Chase, 

Mrs.  Maynard,  in  her  book,  "Was  Abraham  Lincoln 
a  Spiritualist?"  from  which  we  shall  presently  make  ex- 
tracts, declares:  "It  was  during  the  remarkable  winter 
of  '64  and  '65  when  the  rebellion  was  in  its  death  throes 
that  I  know  of  the  visits  of  Chas.  Colchester  and  Chas. 
Foster  (two  well  known  mediums  of  that  time)  to  the 
White  House,  and  of  their  sittings  with  President  Lin- 
coln. Through  them  and  through  myself  he  received 
warnings  of  his  approaching  fate;  but  his  fearless,  con- 
fident nature  disregarded  the  warnings  received."     She 


72  The  Religion  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

also  declares  that  Mrs.  Lucy  A.  Hamilton  and  Chas. 
Redmond  were  among  his  mediumistic  friends. 

Warren  Chase,  a  member  of  the  Illinois  Legislature, 
in  a  published  letter  written  from  Cobden,  111,  speaking 
of  the  medium,  Chas,  Colchester,  says,  "In  January  1865 
while  I  was  lecturing  in  Washington,  D.C.  I  often  saw 
Colchester,  who  was  astonishing  many  public  men  by 
his  tests.  I  know  that  he  visited  President  Lincoln  and 
that  he  often  was  sent  for  by  him  and  gave  him  evidence 
of  spirit  intercourse,  as  did  also  Mrs.  Nettie  Maynard  of 
White  Plains,  N.Y.,  before  her  marriage  to  Mr.  Maynard. 
She  stopped  where  I  did  in  Washington  and  I  know  when 
she  was  sent  for  by  President  Lincoln,  and  as  I  knew 
him  well.  I  knew  he  was  a  Spiritualist.  Much  if  this 
early  history  is  recorded  in  my  "Forty  years  of  the  Spir- 
itual Rostrum.' ' 

Of  all  the  many  mediums  consulted  by  Mr.  Lincoln, 
Mrs.  Maynard,  then  Nettie  Colburn,  seems,  from  con- 
current testimony,  to  have  been  the  one  most  frequently 
in  requisition  and  most  intimately  associated  through 
her  mediumship  with  the  President  and  the  very  critical 
condition  of  public  affairs  during  '62,  '63  and  '64. 

If  the  statements  made  and  published  by  the  late 
Col.  Kase,  Mrs.  Maynard  and  others  are  true,  Miss  Col- 
burn was  for  years  on  terms  of  intimacy  with  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Lincoln,  and  served  as  medium  for  them  and  others 
in  seances  held  at  the  home  of  Mr.  Cranstoun  Laurie  in 
Georgetown.  She  was  a  frequent  visitor  on  invitation 
to  the  White  House  and  always  a  welcome  caller  or  guest, 
served  as  medium  for  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lincoln  alone  in  the 
White  House  and  also  exercised  her  gifts  there  for  them 
when  friends  were  present,  also  many  times  for  Mr.  Lin- 
coln alone. 


The  Religion  of  Abraham  Lincoln  73 

Lincoln  Followed  Spiritual  Counsel. 

In  these  seances,  it  is  claimed  that  communications 
purporting  to  come  from  the  Fathers  of  the  Republic 
through  her  lips  were  addressed  pointedly  to  Mr.  Lin- 
coln, and  on  a  few  occasions  discourses  of  an  hour  length 
were  given  him.  At  such  times  Mr.  Lincoln  seemed 
deeply  interested,  asking  many  questions,  and  discussed 
the  nature  of  the  messages  and,  as  subsequent  events 
proved,  followed  the  counsels  thus  given.  In  all  this  in- 
tercourse with  the  Lincoln  family  extending  over  years 
Miss  Colbourn  served  on  the  footing  of  a  friend  and  nev- 
er accepted  fee  or  reward.  In  the  book  already  referred 
to,  dictated  upon  her  deathbed,  and  published  in  1891  in 
Philadelphia,  there  are  many  accounts  of  these  seances 
giving  dates,  names  of  visitors  and  some  outline  of  the 
communications  given  to  Mr.  Lincoln.  All  purporting 
to  come  from  discarnate  spirits.  Many  statements  of 
facts  are  also  given  showing  that,  in  a  large  measure 
Mr.  Lincoln  trusted  in  and  was  guided  by  these  counsels. 
The  limits  of  this  article  will  not  permit  of  many  il- 
lustrations. We  include  a  few  samples  of  many  that 
might  be  given. 

As  we  have  seen,  Mr.  Lincoln  had  seances  with  Mr. 
Conkling  and  Mrs.  Stewart  in  1861  and  with  Foster  and 
Colchester  before  his  first  sitting  with  Nettie  Colbourn. 
This  occurred  in  December,  1862,  in  the  Red  Parlor  at 
the  White  House.  After  describing  her  sensations  on  the 
occasion  and  the  entry  of  Mr.  Lincoln  into  the  room 
while  Mrs.  Miller  was  playing  a  piano,  Miss  Colburn  tells 
of  her  meeting  with  the  President :  'Then  I  was  led  f or- 
word  and  presented.  He  stood  before  me,  tall  and  kind- 
ly, with  a  smile  on  his  face.  Dropping  his  hand  on  my 
head  he  said  in  a  humorous  tone,  'So  this  is  our  little 


74  The  Religion  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

Nettie,  is  it,  that  we  have  heard  so  much  about?"  I 
could  only  smile  and  say,  "Yes  Sir,"  like  any  school  girl ; 
when  he  kindly  led  me  to  an  ottoman." 

Then  Mr.  Lincoln  questioned  her  about  her  medium- 
ship  and  while  Mr.  Cranstoun  Laurie  was  making  reply 
to  one  of  the  President's  questions,  Miss  Colbourn  lost 
consciousness.  She  continues  her  story  thus: — "For 
more  than  an  hour  I  was  made  to  talk  to  him,  and  I 
learned  from  my  friends  afterward  that  it  was  upon  a 
matter  that  he  seemed  to  fully  understand,  while  they 
comprehended  very  little  until  that  portion  was  reached 
that  related  to  the  forthcoming  Emancipation  Procla- 
mation. He  was  charged  with  the  utmost  solemnity  and 
force  of  manner  not  to  abate  the  terms  of  its  issue,  and 
not  to  delay  its  enforcement  as  a  law  beyond  the  open- 
ing of  the  year ;  and  he  was  assured  that  it  was  to  be  the 
crowning  event  of  his  administration  and  his  life;  and 
that,  while  he  was  being  counseled  by  two  strong  parties 
to  defer  the  enforcement  of  it,  hoping  to  supplant  it  by 
other  measures  and  to  delay  action,  he  must  in  no  wise 
heed  such  counsel  but  stand  firm  to  his  convictions  and 
fearlessly  perform  the  work  and  fulfill  the  mission  for 
which  he  had  been  raised  up  by  an  over-ruling  Provi- 
dence!' 

Those  present  declared  they  lost  sight  of  that  timid 
girl  in  the  majesty  of  the  utterance,  the  strength  and 
force  of  the  language  and  the  importance  of  that  which 
was  uttered  and  seemed  to  realize  that  some  strong,  mas- 
culine personality  was  giving  speech  to  almost  Divine 
commands.  She  goes  on  with  her  narative  thus :  "J  shall 
never  forget  the  scene  around  me  when  I  regained  con- 
sciousness... I  was  standing  in  front  of  Mr.  Lincoln  and 
he  was  sitting  hack  in  his  chair  with  his  arms  folded 


The  Religion  of  Abraham  Lincoln  75 

upon  his  breast,  looking  intently  at  me.  I  stepped  back 
naturally  confused  at  the  situation,  not  remembering 
at  once  where  I  was;  and  glancing  around  the  group 
where  perfect  silence  reigned.  It  took  me  a  moment  to 
recollect  my  whereabouts.  A  gentleman  present  then 
said  in  a  low  tone,  "Mr.  President  did  you  notice  any- 
thing peculiar  in  the  method  of  address?"  Mr.  Lincoln 
raised  himself,  as  if  shaking  off  his  spell.  He  glanced 
quickly  at  the  full  length  portrait  of  Daniel  Webster, 
that  hung  above  the  piano,  and  replied,  "Yes,  it  is  very 
singular,  very!"  with  marked  emphasis.  Mr.  Soames  said : 
"Mr.  President,  would  it  be  improper  for  me  to  inquire 
whether  there  has  been  any  pressure  brought  to  bear 
upon  you  to  defer  the  enforcement  of  the  Proclamation  ?" 
To  which  the  President  replied: — "Under  these  circum- 
stances that  question  is  perfectly  proper,  as  we  are  all 
friends  (smiling  upon  the  company) .  It  is  taking  all  my 
nerve  and  strength  to  withstand  such  a  pressure."  At 
this  point  the  gentlemen  drew  around  him,  and  spoke 
together  in  low  tones,  Mr.  Lincoln  saying  least  of  all.  At 
last  he  turned  to  me,  and  laying  his  hand  upon  my  head, 
uttered  these  words  in  a  manner  that  I  shall  never  for- 
get :  "My  child,  you  possess  a  very  singular  gift  but  that 
it  is  of  God,  I  have  no  doubt.  I  thank  you  for  coming 
here  tonight.  It  is  more  important  than  perhaps  anjone 
present  can  understand." 

Lincoln  Sought  Spirit  Guidance. 

In  February  '63  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lincoln  attended  a 
seance  at  Mr.  Laurie's  in  Georgetown.  Mrs.  Lincoln  had 
arranged  it  but  it  was  not  expected  that  Mr.  Lincoln 
would  be  present.  In  the  evening,  however,  when  Mrs. 
Lincoln  was  about  entering  the  carriage,  Mr.  Lincoln 


76  The  Religion  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

having  left  a  cabinet  meeting  under  an  unnaccountable 
impulse  found  Mrs.  Lincoln  about  to  start  to  a  seance 
and  suddenly  resolved  to  accompany  her.  According  to 
Mrs.  Maynard's  account  of  the  transaction  his  coming 
was  prophesied  to  the  circle  before  he  arrived  and  Mr. 
Laurie  on  extending  a  warm  greeting  to  him  at  the  door 
took  occasion  to  say,  "You  were  expected." 

Mr.  Lincoln  stopped  in  the  removal  of  his  coat  and 
said,  "Expected?  Why  it  was  only  five  minutes  since  I 
knew  I  was  coming."  and  then  it  was  explained  to  him 
how  they  had  learned  through  Mrs,  Maynard's  prophecy 
of  his  coming.  At  Mr.  Lincoln's  request,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Laurie  and  their  daughter  Mrs.  Miller  sang  some  old 
Scotch  songs.  Mr.  Lincoln  sat  in  an  old  high-backed 
rocking  chair,  with  his  legs  crossed,  leaning  back  in  ut- 
ter weariness  and  with  clossed  eyes,  listening  to  the 
songs,  and  looked  tired  and  haggard.  He  seemed,  de- 
clares Mrs.  Maynard,  to  have  aged  many  years  in  the 
last  few  weeks.  Turning  to  Miss  Colburn  he  said,  "Well, 
Miss  Nettie,  do  you  think  you  have  anything  to  say  to  me 
tonight?"  "If  I  have  not,"  she  replied,  "there  may  be 
others  who  have."  He  nodded  pleasantly  and  said,  "Sup- 
pose we  see  what  they  have  to  tell  us."  Miss  Colburn 
at  once  began  to  talk  to  the  President  in  the  name  of  a 
certain  Dr.  Bamford,  in  quaint  dialect  and  old  fashioned 
methods  of  expression.  According  to  the  testimony  of 
those  present  the  following  in  the  substance  of  his  re- 
marks:— That  a  very  precarious  state  of  things  existed 
at  the  front,  where  General  Hooker  had  just  taken  com- 
mand ;  that  the  army  was  totally  demoralized ;  regiments 
stacking  their  arms,  refusing  to  obey  orders  or  do  duty, 
threatening  a  general  retreat  and  declaring  their  pur- 
pose to  return  to  Washington,  etc.,  etc. 


The  Religion  of  Abraham  Lincoln  77 

When  the  picture  had  been  painted  in  vivid  colors 
Mr.  Lincoln  quickly  remarked,  "You  seem  to  understand 
the  situation.  Can  you  point  out  a  remedy?"  "Yes" 
replied  the  professed  Dr.  Bamford,  "If  you  have  the 
courage  to  use  it."  Mr.  Lincoln  smiled  and  said,  "Try 
me." 

The  answer  was,  "The  remedy  lies  in  yourself.  Go 
in  person  to  the  front,  taking  with  you  your  wife  and 
children;  leaving  behind  official  dignity  and  all  manner 
of  display.  Resist  the  importunities  of  officials  to  ac- 
company you ;  seek  the  tents  of  the  private  soldiers ;  in- 
quire into  their  grievances.  Show  yourself  what  you 
are,  "The  Father  of  your  people." 

Mr.  Lincoln  said,  "If  that  will  do  any  good,  it  is 
easily  done." 

The  answer  was,  "It  will  do  all  that  is  required.  It 
will  unite  the  soldiers  as  one  man.  It  will  unite  them  to 
you  by  bands  of  steel." 

A  long  conversation  then  ensued  between  the  pre- 
sumed Dr.  Bamford  and  Lincoln  in  which  the  President 
was  told  he  would  be  renominated  and  re-elected  to  the 
Presidency. 

After  the  proceedings  were  over  Mr.  Lincoln  was 
asked  if  affairs  at  the  front  were  as  bad  as  depicted. 

After  asking  all  present  not  to  speak  of  these  things 
he  declared  affairs  in  the  army  could  hardly  be  exagger- 
ated and  that  a  Major  who  was  with  his  party  had  just 
brought  dispatches  from  the  front  announcing  a  state 
of  affairs  "pretty  much  as  our  old  friend  has  shown  it." 
and  that  they  were  just  having  a  Cabinet  meeting  to 
consider  the  matter,  "when  something,  I  know  not  what, 
induced  me  to  leave  the  room  and  come  down  stairs 
where  I  found  Mrs.  Lincoln  in  the  act  of  coming  here.  I 


78  The  Religion  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

felt  it  might  be  of  service  for  me  to  come.    I  did  not 
know  wherefore." 

The  next  issue  of  John  Forney's  Gazette  bore  the 
startling  head  lines,  "The  President  about  to  visit  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac"  and  subsequent  events  showed  a 
literal  obedience  on  his  part  to  the  orders  through  Miss 
Colburn's  lips  and  proved  a  grand  fulfillment  of  her 
prophecy  as  to  the  very  beneficial  effect  of  that  visit  on 
the  army. 

Spirit   Counsel   Helped  the  Union  Arms 

On  another  occasion  with  the  Hon.  D.  E.  Soames  and 
Mrs.  Soames,  Miss  Colburn  and  her  friend  Miss  Hannum 
visited  the  White  House  on  the  invitation  of  Mrs.  Lin- 
coln to  meet  Gen.  Sickles.  In  this  seance  Miss  Colburn 
while  entranced  delivered  a  very  earnest  address  to  the 
President  in  relation  to  the  condition  of  the  freedmen 
in  and  around  Washington,  declaring  their  condition  de- 
plorable in  the  extreme  and  urging  the  President  to  ap- 
point a  special  committee  to  investigate  the  condition  of 
these  people.  Shortly  after  this  occurrence,  Miss  Colburn 
returned  to  her  home  in  Hartford,  Conn,  for  a  few  weeks 
and  while  there  the  telegraph  despatches  went  over  the 
country,  "President  Lincoln  has  appointed  a  Committee 
to  investigate  the  condition  of  the  freedmen.,,  It  is  a 
matter  of  history  that  the  outcome  of  the  investigation 
was  the  formation  of  the  "Freedmen's  Bureau." 

On  still  another  occasion  Miss  Colbourn  was  sum- 
moned to  the  White  House  and  met  two  officers  of  the 
army.  Mrs.  Lincoln  and  Hon.  D.  E.  Soames,  who  were 
in  the  room,  withdrew  to  one  end  of  it  and  allowed  Mr. 
Lincoln  and  his  two  military  friends  to  hear  the  inspira- 
tional address.  This  lasted,  according  to  the  account, 
one  hour,  at  the  end  of  which  Miss  Colburn  found  herself 


The  Religion  of  Abraham  Lincoln  79 

standing  pencil  in  hand  by  a  long  table  on  which  was 
spread  a  map  of  the  Southern  States.  It  appears  from 
statements  of  Mrs.  Soames,  who  witnessed  the  seance 
though  he  did  not  hear  the  message,  that  Miss  Colbourn 
had  been  tracing  lines  of  military  operations  upon  the 
map  and  that  the  President  and  the  officers  listened  with 
breathless  attention.  At  the  close,  Mr.  Lincoln  was  heard 
to  remark,  "It  is  astonishing  how  every  line  she  has 
drawn,  conforms  to  the  plan  agreed  upon."  "Yes,"  an- 
swered one  of  the  military  gentlemen,  "it  is  very  astoni- 
shing." Later  on  Mr.  Lincoln  remarked  on  the  fact  that 
Miss  Colbourn  did  not  require  eyes  to  enable  her  to  draw 
as  she  had  done  all  her  tracing  of  lines  with  her  eyes 
closed. 

Summoned  home  to  Hartford,  Conn,  to  visit  her 
sick  father  in  February,  just  before  the  second  Inaugu- 
ration, Miss  Colburn  having  an  engagement  at  the  White 
House  for  the  following  week  called  to  excuse  herself  to 
Mrs.  Lincoln  for  leaving  the  city.  There  she  met  Mr. 
Lincoln  and  had  her  last  interview  with  him.  After 
some  pleasant  interchanging  of  conversation,  he  turned 
and  asked,  "But  what  do  our  friends  say  of  us  now?"  al- 
luding to  the  purported  messages  that  had  come  through 
her  lips  from  the  spirits  of  the  departed.  "What  they 
predict  for  you,  Mr.  Lincoln,  has  come  to  pass,"  said 
Miss  Colburn,  "and  you  are  to  be  inaugurated  a  second 
time.  But,  they  also  re-affirm  that  the  shadow  they  have 
spoken  of  still  hangs  over  you/"  He  turned  half  im- 
patiently away  and  said,  "Yes,  I  know,  I  have  letters 
from  all  over  the  country  from  your  kind  of  people, 
mediums  I  mean,  warning  me  against  some  dreadful  plot 
against  my  life,  but  I  don't  think  the  knife  is  made,  or 
the  bullet  run  that  will  reach  it.  Nobody  wants  to  harm 
me." 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 

973.7L63B4F57L  CD01 

LINCOLN  WAS  A  SPIRITUALIST  LA 


3  0112  031798199 


